UC-NRLF 


SB    mi 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


GIFT  OF 

Lewis  F.   Langfeld 


',$* 

THE    y<  K! 
a.  A 
Stone  of  (8>U; 


THE  FAITHFUL  WITNESS 

FOR 

MAGISTRACY  AND  MINISTRY 

UPON 

A  SCRIPTUKAL  BASIS. 

BY  REV.   SAMUEL  B.  YWYLIE,  A.  M, 


"And  I  will  give  power  unto  my  witnesses,  and  they  shall  pro- 
phesy a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days,  clothed  in 
sackcloth." 

4*  These  are  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks  stand- 
ing before  the  God  of  the  earth."— Rev.  xi,  3,  4. 


THIRD  EDITION. 

WITH 

on  .Sufimtssfon  to  (Etbfi  ©fobecnmcnt. 


PHILADELPHIA ! 
WAI.  S.  JTQUNG,  PRINTER,-50  NORTH  SIXTH  STREET. 

1850. 


Published  with  funds  raised  by  the  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Congregation,  Cherry 
Street,  Philadelphia. 


GUT 


PREFACE. 


THE  principles  of  reformation  are  not  fashion- 
able. They  were  once,  however,  considered 
as  the  glory  of  Presbyterians.  The  time  has 
been,  when  the  whole  body  of  Presbyterians, 
in  Scotland,  England,  and  Ireland,  unanimously 
subscribed  them.  For  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
reformation;  for  a  glorious  covenanted  cause, 
thousands  have  bled  and  died. 

In  the  following  discourse  I  have  endea- 
voured to  advocate  that  cause.  Not  because 
it  is  an  ancient  cause  ;  not  because  many  have 
sealed  it  with  their  blood ;  but,  because  I  thought 
it  the  doctrine  of  the  Bible,  and  the  cause  of 
Christ. 

I  make  no  apology — I  court  no  one's  favour. 
A  conviction  of  truth  was  the  cause  of  publica- 
tion. There  may,  no  doubt,  be  unguarded  ex- 
pressions. Any  thing  that  is  so,  if  demon- 
strated, will  be  candidly  acknowledged. 

SAMUEL  B.  WYLIE. 


R/1890774 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL,  &c. 


ZECHARIAH  iv.  14. 

"Then  said  he,  These  are  the  two  anointed  ones,  that 
stand  by  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth." 

THIS  chapter  is  replete  with  abundant  comfort 
to  the  returning  captives.  In  their  embarrassing 
circumstances,  they  stood  in  great  need  of  conso- 
lation. They  were  disposed  to  consider  their 
situation  as  helpless  and  deplorable ;  and  doubted 
much,  whether  the  temple  they  were  about  to 
erect,  would  ever  acquire  the  respectability  of  the 
former  one,  or  their  city  abound  with  its  usual 
population.  They  could  scarcely  believe,  that, 
il  The  glory  of  this  latter  house  would  be  greater 
than  of  the  former."  Hag.  ii.  9. 

The  scope  of  this  vision,  therefore,  is,  to  show 
that  God  would,  by  his  own  omnipotent  arm,  con- 
summate the  work,  notwithstanding  the  imbecility 
of  its  friends,  and  the  malignant  opposition  of  its 
enemies.  To  this  purpose  he  informs  them,  by 
his  prophet,  that  the  head  stone  would  be  put  on 
with  shoutings  of  joy;  and  that  this  was  not  to  be 
attributed  so  much  to  visible  instrumentality,  as  to 
the  superintending  influences  of  his  own  omni- 
potent Spirit.  Verses  1,  10. 

From  the  eleventh  verse  to  the  end  of  the  chap- 
ter, we  have  a  brief  explication  of  this  vision,  in- 
tended as  an  illustration  of  the  assurances  already 


6  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

given.  This  is  done  by  the  angel,  at  the  request 
of  the  prophet,  verse  11: — "What  are  these  two 
olive  trees  upon  the  right  side  of  the  candlestick, 
and  upon  the  left  side  thereof?"  The  angel  having 
sufficiently  humbled  him,  by  leaving  him  to  re- 
peat his  request,  lower  his  terms,  (confining  it  to 
the  two  olive  branches,)  and  confess  his  ignorance, 
answers  in  the  words  of  the  text,  "  These  are  the 
two  anointed  ones,"  &c. 

The  answer  itself  requires  explanation.  Who 
are  intended  by  these  two  Anointed  Ones,  or  Sons 
of  Oil,  as  it  reads  in  the  original?  Who  these  are, 
will  perhaps  be  best  ascertained  by  attending  to 
the  functions  which  they  discharge,  compared  with 
collateral  texts.  By  comparing  together  the  se- 
cond, third,  and  twelfth  verses  of  this  chapter,  it 
would  appear,  that  they  pour  golden  oil  into  the 
bowl  on  the  head  of  the  golden  candlestick.  That 
this  golden  candlestick  represented  the  Church  of 
Christ,  is  abundantly  evident  from  several  passages 
in  Scripture,  see  Exod.  xxv.  31,  and  1st  Kings  vii. 
49,  and  Rev.  i.  20.  The  seven  golden  candle- 
slicks  are  expressly  declared,  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
to  represent  the  seven  churches. 

The  Church  of  Christ  may  be  considered  under 
a  twofold  point  of  view,  namely,  invisible  and 
visible.  In  relation  to  the  first,  the  two  olive 
branches  may  be  emblematical  «f  Christ  and  his 
Spirit,  the  Redeemer  and  Comforter.  Jesus  is 
not  only  the  Messiah,  the  Anointed  One  himself, 
but  he  is  also  the  good  Olive  Tree  to  his  church. 
John  i.  16:  "Out  of  his  fulness  have  all  we  re- 
ceived, and  grace  for  grace."  The  Spirit  is  the 
Unction  or  Anointing,  which  replenishes  the  mind 
with  divine  illumination.  1st  John  ii.  20:  "But 
ye  have  an  unction  from  the  Holy  One,  and  ye 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  7 

know  all  things."  From  Christ,  the  Olive  Tree, 
by  his  Spirit,  the  Olive  Branch,  is  communicated 
to  believers  all  the  golden  oil  of  grace,  whereby 
their  lamps  are  kept  burning  and  luminous. 

In  relation  to  the  second,  viz.,  the  visible  church, 
they  may  be  symbolical  of  the  two  great  ordinances 
of  Magistracy  and  Ministry,  vested  at  that  time  in 
these  two  illustrious  characters,  Zerubbabel  and 
Joshua,  the  former  in  the  state,  and  the  latter  in 
the  church.  They  are  characterized  as  "Sons  of 
Oil."  Kings  and  priests  were  anointed,  and  thus 
solemnly  set  apart  to  their  respective  functions. 
They  "stood  by  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth," 
importing  that  they  were  faithful  adherents  to  his 
cause  and  testimony,  continually  emptying  them- 
selves into  the  golden  bowl,  contributing  their  re- 
spective influences  to  the  advancement  of  civil  and 
religious  reformation,  as  the  objects  of  his  pecu- 
liar care.  In  allusion  to  this  passage  in  Zechariah, 
the  two  Witnesses  mentioned,  Rev.  xi.  4,  are 
designated  by  the  same  emblems,  viz.,  "The  two 
Olive  Trees  standing  before  the  God  of  the  earth." 
The  analogy  of  Scripture,  as  also  the  current  of 
the  best  commentators,  agree,  that  by  these  two 
Witnesses  is  meant,  that  succession  of  men,  who, 
in  all  ages,  and  against  all  opposition,  have  va- 
liantly contended  for  the  purity  of  these  divine  or- 
dinances, both  in  constitution  and  administration. 
In  this  sense,  consider  these  two  Anointed  Ones. 

In  the  prosecution  of  the  subject,  we  shall — 
I.  Premise  a  few  things,  which,  if  duly  attended 
to,  may  be  useful  in  the  farther  illustration  of  this 
text.  And,  1st.  God,  the  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit, 
is  the  Supreme  Governor  of  the  universe.  Rev. 
xix.  6:  "The  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth." 
This  will  be  generally  admitted. 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

2.  All  physical  and  moral  power  is,  naturally, 
necessarily,  and  independently  in   God.      Gen. 
xvii.  1:  "I  am  God  Almighty."     This  is  admitted 
even  by  the  haughty  Babylonish  monarch.     Dan. 
iv.  35:    "He  doth  according  to  his  will  in  the 
army  of  heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth ;  and  none  can  stay  his  hand,  or  say  unto 
him,  What  dost  thou?" 

3.  All  power  to  be  found  among  the  creatures 
is  necessarily  derived  from  him.     He  is  the  origi- 
nal source    and    fountain   from  which   it  flows. 
Acts  xvii.  28 :  "  For  in  him  we  live,  and  move, 
and  have  our  being." 

4.  All  this  delegated,  or  derived  power,  should 
be  exercised  to  his  glory,  and  regulated  by  his 
law.     1st  Cor.  x.  31:    "Whether,  therefore,  ye 
eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the 
glory  of  God."     To  effect  this  end,  all  our  powers 
should  be   directed,  and  of  this,  his  law  is   the 
unerring  rule.      By  this,   therefore,   all   rational 
beings  are  indispensably  bound.     God  has  given 
them  no  right  to  do  what  it  prohibits.     To  sup- 
pose men  to  possess  any  such  right,  is  wicked  and 
blasphemous.     This  would  be  the  same  as  to  sup- 
pose God  to  say  to  them,  I,  as  the  Supreme  Legis- 
lator, give  you  my  law.     To  the  least  breach  of 
it,  I  annex  the  penalty  of  eternal  damnation;  yet 
I  give  you  a  right  to  violate  this,  my  law,  and  to 
wage  war  with  your  God,  and  direct  your  artil- 
lery against  the  Sovereign  of  the  Universe !!!    The 
Scriptures  inform  us  otherwise.     Deut.  xii.  32: 
"  What  thing  soever  I  command  you,  observe  to 
do  it;  thou  shalt  not  add  to  it,  nor  diminish  from 
it." 

5.  This  delegated  power  appears  most  conspi- 
cuous in  the  person  of  the  Mediator.     Into  his 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  9 

hands  universal  dominion  is  committed.  Matt, 
xxviii.  18 :  "All  power  is  given  unto  me,  in  hea- 
ven and  in  earth."  Here  the  donation  is  univer- 
sal. Its  extent  is  unlimited,  as  to  created  nature. 
1  Cor.  xv.  27.  The  apostle  expressly  declares 
that  nothing  is  excepted  from  his  dominion,  but 
the  Godhead  itself.  Remarkable  to  this  purpose 
is  John  v.  22:  "  The  Father  judgeth  no  man,  but 
hath  committed  all  judgment  unto  the  Son."  As 
Mediator,  therefore,  he  pronounces  sentence  upon 
the  reprobate,  "  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,"  &c., 
for  this  is  a  part  of  his  judiciary  functions.  That 
this  power,  and  the  exercise  of  it,  belong  to  him, 
as  Mediator,  is  abundantly  evident,  not  only  from 
the  circumstance  of  donation,  which  can  in  no 
sense  apply  to  him  as  God,  (for  in  this  character 
nothing  could  be  given  him,  being  necessarily  Lord 
of  all,)  but  also  from  the  explicit  and  positive  as- 
sertion, in  the  twenty-seventh  verse,  that  all  this 
authority  was  committed  to  him,  "  Because  he  is 
the  Son  of  Man." 

6.  This  universal  dominion,  committed  to  him, 
as  it  respects  the  human  family,  in  its  administra- 
tion, consists  in  two  great  branches,  namely,  Ma- 
gistracy and  Ministry.     Through  these  channels 
it  flows  down  to  human  kind,  contributing  its  in- 
fluences to  ameliorate  the  character  of  those  who 
are  destined  to  everlasting  life,  to  whom  "all  things 
shall  work  together  for  good."     Rom.  viii.  28. 
While  it  issues  in  the  obduracy  of  those  who  con- 
tinue implacable  enemies,  on  whom  every  divine 
dispensation  shall  have  a  contrary  operation. 

7.  Though  both  these  branches  are  put  under 
the  Mediator's  control,  yet  they  are  so,  under  dif- 
ferent regulations.     Ecclesiastical  power  is  dele- 
gated to  him  in  such  a  manner,  that  all  ordinances 


10  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

and  institutions,  necessary  to  the  formal  organiza- 
tion of  a  visible  church,  flow  immediately  from 
him  as  Mediator.  Matt.  xvi.  J8.  He  is  the 
builder  of  the  church,  the  author  of  all  her  sacred 
institutions.  All  ecclesiastical  functionaries,  like- 
wise, receive  their  authority  from  him,  in  the  same 
character,  for  every  part  of  their  administration. 
Hence,  Matt.  xvi.  19,  he  commits  unto  them  the 
keys  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  exclusive  power  of 
binding  and  loosing.  But  civil  power  is  under  a 
different  regulation.  It  flows  immediately  from 
God  Creator,  as  the  Governor  of  the  universe. 
Jer.  x.  7:  "  Who  would  not  fear  thee,  O  King  of 
nations  ?"  It  existed  previously  to  the  fall,  and 
would  necessarily  have  existed,  even  had  we  never 
revolted  against  God ;  though,  no  doubt,  in  that  case, 
it  would  not  have  been  clothed  in  some  of  its  pre- 
sent modifications.  Man's  subjection  to  the  moral 
government  of  his  Maker  would  have  then  been 
similar  to  that  of  beings  of  a  more  dignified  order. 
Civil  government  does  not,  as  some  modern 
politicians  affirm,  originate  either  in  the  people,  as 
its  fountain,  or  in  the  vices  consequent  upon  the 
fall.  Among  the  angels,  who  retained  their  primi- 
tive rectitude,  we  find  certain  orders,  suggested  by 
the  denominations  of  Archangels,  Thrones,  Do- 
minions, Principalities,  and  Powers.  Col.  i.  16. 
This  testifies  regular  subordination  among  them, 
agreeable  to  the  constitutional  laws  of  their  nature, 
and  their  amenability  to  God,  their  Creator  and 
Lord.  But  though  civil  government  is  no  new 
order  of  things,  predicated  upon  the  fall,  nor,  like 
the  ministry,  in  all  its  circumstances,  flowing  im- 
mediately from  Christ  as  Mediator;  yet  it  is  among 
the  all  things,  committed  to  him  by  the  donation 
of  the  Father.  Eph,  i.  22.  Its  officers,  likewise, 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  11 

are  enjoined,  under  pain  of  perdition,  to  make  all 
their  administrations  bend  to  the  honour  of  Im- 
manuel :  and  the  body  politic,  indispensably  bound 
to  modify  their  constitutions  by  his  word,  when 
in  his  goodness  he  has  revealed  it  to  them.  Ps. 
ii.  10,  12 :  "  Be  wise  now,  therefore,  O  ye  kings, 
be  instructed,  ye  judges  of  the  earth.  Serve  the 
Lord  with  fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling.  Kiss 
the  Son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the 
way,  when  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little." 
Can  any  thing  be  more  explicit  in  demonstrating 
the  obligation  of  the  civil  authorities  to  render 
homage  and  respect  to  Messiah?  But  as  it  is 
suggested  that  these  two  branches  are  under  dif- 
ferent regulations,  we  shall  endeavour, 

In  the  II.  head,  to  show  a  little  more  particularly 
wherein  they  differ. 

1.  They  differ  in  their  immediate  origin,  as 
already  hinted.  Magistracy  flows  immediately 
from  God  Creator,  and  is  predicated  upon  his 
universal  dominion  over  all  nations.  Ps.  xlvii. 
7:  "God  is  King  of  all  the  earth."  To  the 
same  purpose  we  are  informed,  Jer.  x.  7:  '*  Who 
would  not  fear  thee,  thou  King  of  nations  ?  For 
to  thee  doth  it  appertain."  And  as  it  flows  from 
God  Creator,  the  common  Parent  and  Head  of 
all,  the  law  of  nature,  common  to  all  men,  must 
be  the  immediate  rule  of  all  its  administrations. 
A  relation  common  to  all  should  be  regulated  by 
a  rule  common  to  all.  All  stand  in  the  same  rela- 
tion to  God,  considered  as  Creator  and  Moral  Go- 
vernor. The  standard  for  regulating  this  relation, 
must,  of  course,  be  common.  This  standard  is 
the  law  of  nature,  which  all  men  necessarily  pos- 
sess. Revelation  is  introduced  as  a  rule,  by  the 
requisitions  of  the  law  of  nature,  which  binds 


12  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

men  to  receive  with  gratitude  whatever  God  is 
pleased  to  reveal;  and  to  adhere  to  it,  as  the  per- 
fect rule,  under  pain  of  condemnation,  and  being 
treated  as  rebels  against  his  moral  authority.  But 
Ecclesiastical  power  flows  immediately  from 
Christ,  as  Mediator,  and  is  founded  on  his  econo- 
mical Headship  over  the  church.  Eph.  i.  22,  23  : 
God  "  gave  him  to  be  Head  over  all  things  to  the 
church,  which  is  his  body."  As  this  power  flows 
thus  from  Christ,  as  Mediator,  the  law  of  revela- 
tion, announced  by  him  as  the  Angel  of  the  Cove- 
nant, must,  consequently,  be  the  immediate  stan- 
dard for  the  regulation  of  every  part  of  the  system  : 
and  the  law  of  nature  comes  in  to  be  a  rule,  only 
in  subserviency  to  the  general  rules  of  Scripture. 
Phil.  iv.  8  :  "Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things 
are  true,  whatsoever  things  are  honest,  whatsoever 
things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure,  what- 
soever things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of 
good  report:  if  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there 
be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things." 

2.  They  differ  in  their  immediate  objects.  Ma- 
gistracy respects  things  external,  relating  imme- 
diately to  the  outward  man,  2d  Chron.  xxvi.  16, 
20.  Where  Uzziah  usurped  the  sacerdotal  func- 
tions, and  presumed  to  burn  incense,  contrary  to 
the  express  command  of  God,  the  priests  valiantly 
withstood  him,  and  said,  "  It  appertained  not  unto 
thee,  Uzziah,  to  burn  incense  unto  the  Lord ;  but 
to  the  priests,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  who  are  conse- 
crated to  burn  incense  :  go  out  of  the  sanctuary," 
&c.  Yea,  the  Lord  punished  his  presumption, 
and  smote  him  with  leprosy,  and  they  thrust  him 
out  of  the  temple.  Whatever  provisions  of  ex- 
ternal accommodations  he  is  authorized  to  make, 
calling  synodical  assemblies,  and  issuing  compul- 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  13 

sory  process  for  attending  spiritual  courts,  respect 
men,  as  members  of  the  commonwealth,  and  sub- 
jects of  the  realm.  His  ratification  of  church  de- 
crees, is  nothing  more  than  civilly  adopting  them, 
as  good  and  wholesome  laws,  calculated  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  the  state. 

But  all  ecclesiastical  power  is  exercised  about 
things  spiritual.  2d  Cor.  x.  4 :  "  For  the  wea- 
pons of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty," 
&c.  It  considers  men  as  members  of  the  mys- 
tical body  of  Jesus ;  and  if  it  takes  any  concern 
with  the  external  man,  such  as  the  eyes  and  ears, 
it  is  only  that  it  may  thereby  reach  their  con- 
sciences. To  those  that  are  without  the  pale  of 
the  visible  church,  its  jurisdiction  does  not  extend. 
1st  Cor.  v.  12,  13:  "For  what  have  I  to  do  to 
judge  them  also  that  are  without?  Do  not  ye 
judge  them  that  are  within  ?" 

3.  They  differ  in  their  form.  The  magistrati- 
cal  power  is  lordly  and  imperial.  It  belongs  to 
its  functionaries  to  exercise  dominion,  as  the  vice- 
gerents of  God ;  use  compulsory  measures  with 
the  disobedient,  and  enforce  obedience  to  the  laws 
of  which  they  are  the  executors.  Rom.  xiii.  1: 
"  Let  every  soul  be  subject  to  the  higher  powers." 
And  in  case  of  disobedience  to  his.  legitimate  au- 
thority, the  magistrate  ought  not  "to  bear  the 
sword  in  vain."  He  must  not,  indeed,  exercise 
dominion  capriciously,  but  act  as  the  "minister  of 
God  for  good"  to  his  subjects. 

But  ecclesiastical  power  is  altogether  ministerial. 
Its  functionaries  are  considered  as  stewards  of  the 
manifold  mysteries  of  the  spiritual  kingdom,  and 
are  positively  discharged  from  acting  as  "  Lords 
over  God's  heritage,"  1st  Pet.  v.  3.  Like  their 
great  master,  they  ought  not  to  come  to  be  minis- 
2 


14  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

tered  unto,  but  to  minister  to  the  spiritual  exi- 
gencies of  perishing  sinners.  They  are,  however, 
entitled  to  attention  and  obedience  to  their  spiri- 
tual ministrations.  Heb.  xiii.  17:  "Obey  them 
that  have  the  rule  over  you  in  the  Lord,"  &c. 
But  still  they  can  exercise  no  compulsion  upon  the 
persons  of  men.  This  belongs  exclusively  to  the 
civil  magistrate.  And  whereas  civil  rulers  may 
and  ought  to  punish  transgressions,  as  crimes  dis- 
honouring to  God,  as  King  of  nations,  and  preju- 
dicial to  the  state;  church  rulers  are  to  consider 
them  as  scandals,  wounding  to  the  honour  of  Jesus 
Christ,  dishonouring  to  God,  in  him,  and  ruinous 
to  the  souls  of  men. 

4.  They  differ  in  their  proper  end.  The  im- 
mediate and  proper  end  of  all  civil  power,  is,  that 
the  good  of  the  commonwealth  may  be  provided 
for,  their  temporal  security  and  civil  liberty  se- 
cured upon  the  footing  of  the  moral  law,  Rom. 
xiii.  4.  The  magistrate  is  accordingly  called  a 
4;  minister  of  God  for  good"  to  men.  The  ulti- 
mate end  to  be  attained  is  the  advancement  of  the 
glory  of  God,  as  King  of  nations,  and  a  concern 
to  promote  the  prosperity  of  the  church;  and  the 
propagation  of  truth  should  be  exercised  as  the 
means  best  calculated  to  obtain  that  end.  Or  the 
good  of  the  church  may  be  considered  as  an  ac- 
cessary end.  The  more  faithful  the  administra- 
tion of  justice,  the  fewer  will  be  the  violations  of 
the  divine  law;  and  consequently  the  fewer  scan- 
dals to  annoy  the  peace  and  happiness  of  the 
church. 

But  the  proper  and  immediate  end  of  all  ecclesi- 
astical power  is,  that  the  conviction,  conversion, 
and  edification  of  the  souls  of  men  may  be  pro- 
mated,  Eph.  iv.  11,  12.  Here  we  find  that  the 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  15 

immediate  end  of  appointing  all  church  officers 
was,  "For  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  and  the 
edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ."  The  ultimate 
end  is  the  glory  of  God,  as  he  is  "in  Christ  recon- 
ciling the  world  unto  himself,"  2d  Cor.  v.  19. 
The  welfare  of  the  state  is  only  an  accessary  end, 
at  which  the  church  officers,  as  subjects  of  the 
state,  ought  to  aim.  The  better  they  discharge 
their  ecclesiastical  functions,  the  fewer  will  be  the 
crimes  in  the  state,  and  the  more  faithfully  will 
every  civil  relative  duty  be  performed,  and  thus 
the  welfare  of  the  nation  greatly  promoted. 

5.  They  differ  in  their  effects.  The  effects  of 
all  civil  powers  are  either  proper  or  redundant. 
The  proper  effect  of  civil  power  is,  the  temporal 
safety  and  welfare  of  the  commonwealth,  together 
with  the  undisturbed  >  enjoyment  of  all  civil  privi- 
leges. 

The  redundant  effect  is  the  good  of  the  church, 
as  far  as  this  may  result  from  the  righteous  ad- 
ministration of  the  divine  law  in  rewarding  the 
righteous,  and  punishing  offenders,  Rom.  xiii.  3. 
And  in  removing  all  impediments  that  would  ob- 
struct the  propagation  of  the  religion  of  Jesus ; 
like  as  Josiah  and  other  reforming  kings  of  Israel 
did. 

But  the  proper  effect  of  all  ecclesiastical  power 
is  wholly  spiritual,  agreeable  to  the  spiritual  na- 
ture of  Christ's  kingdom.  John  xviii.  36:  "  My 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."  It  is  spiritual, 
and  its  exercise  produces  spiritual  effects,  ope- 
rating on  the  souls  and  consciences  of  men. 

The  welfare  of  the  state,  as  such,  is  only  a  re- 
dundant or  accessary  effect.  It  may,  however,  be 
very  considerable.  The  amelioration  of  charac- 
ter, produced  by  the  benign  influences  of  the  re- 


16  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

ligion  of  Jesus,  upon  the  human  heart,  may  be 
highly  advantageous  to  national  prosperity :  as 
true  godliness  has  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now 
is,  as  well  as  of  that  which  is  to  come. 

6.  They  differ  in  their  subjects.     Civil  power 
may  be  vested  in  one  or  more.     This  is  left  to 
the  discretion  of  the  body  politic,  and  is  hence 
called  "an  ordinance  of  man."     1st  Pet.  ii.  13. 
Whatever  the  particular  form  be,  whether  monar- 
chical or  republican,  it  is  legitimate,  and  entitled  to 
obedience,  provided  the  constitution  be  agreeable 
to  the  moral  law. 

It  may  also  be  delegated  from  one  to  another. 
1st  Pet.  ii.  14.  We  are  commanded  to  yield  con- 
scientious obedience,  not  only  to  the  supreme  ma- 
gistrate, but  also  to  his  delegates.  "  Unto  gover- 
nors, as  unto  them  that  are  sent  by  him,  for  the 
punishment  of  evil  doers,  and  for  the  praise  of 
them  that  do  well." 

But  ecclesiastical  power  of  jurisdiction  cannot 
vest  in  one.  2d  Cor.  ii.  6.  When  speaking  of 
the  restoration  of  the  incestuous  person,  who  had 
been  excommunicated,  the  apostle  informs  us, 
that  his  censure  "was  inflicted  by  many." 

Though  the  power  of  ORDER,  or  the  administration 
of  the  word  and  sacraments,  belongs  to  every  regu- 
lar gospel  minister,  yet  the  power  of  jurisdiction  be- 
longs exclusively  to  a  consistory  of  presbyters. 
Neither  can  one  ecclesiastical  officer  delegate  au- 
thority to  another,  to  perform  ministerial  functions. 
It  can  only  come  from  Christ,  the  head,  by  the 
medium  of  proper  officers.  See  Matt.  xvi.  19, 
compared  with  Titus  i.  5. 

7.  They  differ  in  their  correlatives,  or  the  per- 
sons on  whom  they  are  exercised  respectively. 

The  civil  power  extends  to  all  persons,  resi- 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  17 

dent  within  the  realm,  be  their  estate,  character  or 
condition  what  it  may.  Rom.  xiii.  1:  " Let  every 
soul  be  subject  to  the  higher  powers."  Here 
there  is  no  exception  of  any  class  or  condition  of 
men.  But, 

Ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  extends  only  to  those 
who  are  professed  members  of  the  mystical  body 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  operates  upon  them  exclu- 
sively under  that  character,  1st  Cor.  v.  12,  13, 
where  we  are  informed,  that  all  church  power  of 
jurisdiction  is  confined  solely  to  those  that  are 
within.  Hence  those  who  are  not  church  mem- 
bers, if  guilty  of  any  thing  scandalous,  requiring 
public  censure,  must  become  members  of  the 
church,  before  they  can  become  proper  objects  of 
ecclesiastical  censure.  Church  jurisdiction  ex- 
tends not  beyond  the  walls  of  the  house  of  God. 

8.  They  differ  in  their  distinct  and  divided  ex- 
ercise. Thus,  should  the  one  neglect  the  perfor- 
mance of  duty,  that  is  no  reason  why  the  other 
should  be  remiss,  but  rather  the  contrary.  Should 
the  state  take  no  notice  of  the  murderer,  or  the 
adulterer,  their  neglect  by  no  means  unnerves  the 
arm  of  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  neither  should  it 
relax  the  rigour  of  church  censure.  The  same 
will  hold  equally  in  a  change  of  cases.  Again, 
when  either  has  done  what  is  just  and  right,  by  a 
process  issuing  in  the  acquittal  or  condemnation 
of  the  person  arraigned,  the  other  is  bound  to  take 
cognizance  of  the  offence,  and  proceed  accord- 
ingly. Thus,  when  a  church  member  has  satis- 
fied the  civil  law  for  a  crime  committed  against 
the  state,  the  ecclesiastical  authority  ought  to  pro- 
secute him  for  it,  as  a  scandal,  and  deprive  him  of 
privileges,  until  he  give  due  evidences  of  contrition, 
and  satisfy  the  laws  in  that  case  made  and  pro- 


18  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

vided.  Thus  both  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  au- 
thority may,  and  in  many  cases  ought,  to  punish  for 
the  same  offence ;  yet  the  process  ought  to  be  en- 
tirely distinct,  and  the  powers  independent  of  each 
other. 

But  as  we  have  endeavoured  to  show  wherein 
they  differ,  it  will  be  necessary  also  in  the 

III.  Place,  to  show  wherein  they  agree. 

1 .  They  agree  in  this,  that  God  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Spirit,  is  the  original  fountain  from  which 
they  flow.  To  suppose  any  power  or  authority 
whatever  not  originating  from  God,  essentially 
considered,  would  necessarily  lead  to  atheistical 
principles.  It  must,  therefore,  emanate  from  him. 
Rom.  xiii.  1:  "There  is  no  power  but  of  God." 
To  the  same  purpose  is  2d  Cor.  v.  18:  "All  things 
are  of  God."  Civil  power  was  already  shown  to 
originate  from  God,  as  Creator,  and  to  be  founded 
on  his  universal  dominion,  as  the  King  of  nations, 
Jer.  x.  7.  And  though  all  ecclesiastical  power 
flows  immediately  from  Christ,  as  Mediator,  yet 
it  is  radically  and  fontally  in  a  three-one  God. 
All  the  right  and  authority  of  Christ,  as  Mediator, 
is  originally  derived  from  God,  as  well  as  civil 
power. 

They  are,  to  be  sure,  under  different  regula- 
tions: these  have  been  already  stated.  By  virtue 
of  this  derived  right,  Jesus  is  constituted  the  sole 
Legislator  in  Zion,  and  is  the  immediate,  as  the 
Father  is  the  ultimate,  source  of  all  ecclesiastical 
authority.  Hence  the  authority  of  church  offi- 
cers is  analogous  to  that  of  Christ  himself,  namely, 
by  delegation.  John  xvii.  18.  Christ  himself 
states  his  own  and  his  ambassador's  commission, 
as  being  parallel  in  this  particular  point,  "as  thou 
has  sent  me  into  the  world,  even  so  have  I  also 
sent  them  into  the  world." 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  19 

2.  They  agree  in  this,  that  both  are  subjected 
to  the  Mediator,  though  under  different  considera- 
tions.   Matt,  xxviii.  18.  John  v.  22  and  27.   Eph. 
i.  21,  23,  with  many  other  portions  of  Scripture, 
leave  no  room  for  the  candid  mind  to  doubt  of  the 
universality  of  the  donation. 

But  the  different  regulations  under  which  these 
two  branches  are  subjected  unto  him,  are  very 
important,  and  highly  worthy  of  the  most  serious 
attention. 

In  civil  matters,  he  does  not  commission  rulers 
and  officers.  These  receive  their  commissions 
from  God,  from  whom  their  authority  emanates, 
and  upon  whose  sovereignty  over  the  nations  it 
was  founded,  previously  to,  and  independent  of, 
the  development  of  the  new  covenant  economy. 
But,  in  virtue  of  the  Father's  donation,  he  has  a 
right  to  require  the  execution  of  the  orders  given 
to  civil  rulers.  Ps.  ii.  10,  12.  "Now,  therefore, 
be  wise,  ye  kings,  <fec.  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be 
angry."  To  obedience  they  are  indispensably 
bound.  If  they  refuse,  they  are  in  danger  of 
being  dashed  in  pieces  by  his  iron  rod.  Thus 
Jesus,  as  the  Governor  in  the  kingdom  of  Provi- 
dence, (the  wheels  of  which  he  manages,  Ezek.  i. 
26,)  conducts  the  golden  oil  of  the  benign  influ- 
ences, as  well  of  the  civil  as  of  the  ecclesiastical 
branch,  into  the  golden  bowl  of  his  mediatory 
fulness;  thence  to  be  dispensed  to  the  lamps  of 
civil  and  religious  reformation,  till  the  kingdoms 
of  this  world  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord, 
and  of  his  Christ.  Hence,  Eph.  i.  22,  23,  he  is 
the  head  over  all  things,  for  the  use  of  the  church, 
his  body. 

3.  They  agree  in  their  mutual  independence. 
They  are  co-ordinate.     They  may  beautifully 


20  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

subsist  together,  independently  of  each  other ;  but 
they  are  not  collateral,  mutually  dependent,  and 
which  cannot  rightly  subsist,  if  separated. 

The  civil  branch  has  no  power  over  the  eccle- 
siastical, as  such ;  nor  has  the  ecclesiastical  any 
power  over  the  civil.  Yet  the  same  persons,  in 
respect  of  different  relations,  may  be  superior,  or 
inferior,  to  another  person;  and  may  require  ano- 
ther, or  be  themselves  required,  to  fulfil  relative 
duties;  and  in  case  of  delinquency,  may  arraign 
others,  or  be  themselves  arraigned,  pursuant  to  the 
laws  of  their  respective  courts.  Thus  ministers, 
as  ambassadors  of  Christ,  have  a  right  to  require 
magistrates,  as  church  members,  faithfully  to  exe- 
cute their  magistratical  power,  so  as  may  best 
promote  the  honour  of  Christ,  and  the  welfare  of 
his  church;  and  in  case  of  gross  acts  of  malad- 
ministration, may  inflict  upon  them  the  censures 
of  the  house  of  God.  And,  on  the  other  hand, 
magistrates  have  a  right  to  require  ministers,  as 
their  subjects,  faithfully  to  execute  ministerial 
power,  as  an  excellent  mean  of  rendering  the  na- 
tion pious  and  virtuous,  in  order  that  its  happiness 
may  thereby  be  promoted. 

This  principle,  if  duly  attended  to,  and  judi- 
ciously applied,  will  free  the  Westminster  Con- 
fession of  Faith  from  the  false  imputations  of 
Erastianism,  charged  upon  it  by  modern  reform- 
ers. 

There  are  several  articles  in  the  twentieth, 
twenty-third,  and  thirty-first  chapters,  which  have 
been  much  inveighed  against,  as  giving  the  civil 
magistrate  too  much  power  in  the  church  of 
Christ.  Let  it  be  considered  that  he  can  convoke 
synods,  not  formally,  as  ecclesiastical  judicatories, 
but  only  as  the  members  of  the  commonwealth, 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  21 

in  which  character  they  are  his  subjects.  Rom. 
iii.  1.  "Let  every  soul  be  subject,"  &c.  When 
convened,  surely  they  are  bound  to  do  what  is 
most  calculated  to  promote  the  glory  of  God.  If 
their  synodical  deliberations  be  calculated  to  do 
so,  should  they  not  essay  them?  Should  they 
become  remiss,  ought  not  he  to  require  them,  as 
his  subjects,  to  do  their  duty  ?  Should  they 
adulterate  the  pure  fountain  of  evangelical  doc- 
trine with  the  worm-wood  and  gall,  or  errors  and 
heresies,  ought  not  he  to  prohibit  them  from 
poisoning  the  souls  of  his  subjects,  debauching 
their  moral  feelings,  and  thereby  bringing  down 
the  vengeance  of  God  upon  the  commonwealth, 
If  he  views  these  things  with  indifference,  how 
can  he  be  the  minister  of  God  for  good  to  men? 

4.  They  agree  in  being  both  bound  to  take  the 
moral  law,  as  the  unerring  standard  of  all  their 
administrations. 

That  the  civil  branch  is  thus  bound,  is  evident 
not  only  from  the  voice  of  nature,  which  an- 
nounces the  moral  law,  as  the  supreme  rule,  re- 
gulating our  relation  to  God,  as  our  Lord  and 
Sovereign,  and  requires  the  body  politic  to  graft 
upon  it  their  civil  constitutions,  under  pain  of 
Heaven's  high  displeasure;  but  also  from  the  ex- 
press command  of  God  in  his  own  word.  To 
this  purpose,  see  Deut.  xvii.  18,  when,  speaking 
of  the  supreme  magistrate,  it  is  observed,  "and 
it  shall  be  when  he  sitteth  upon  the  throne  of  his 
kingdom,  that  he  shall  write  him  a  copy  of  his 
law  in  a  book,  out  of  that  which  is  before  the 
priests  and  the  Levites.  And  he  shall  read  there- 
in all  the  days  of  his  life."  That  the  obligation 
still  remains  under  the  New  Testament,  is  evident, 
not  only  from  the  morality  of  the  duty,  but  also 
from  the  circumstance,  that  the  detailing  of  such 


22  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

a  constitution  as  is  here  mentioned,  would  be  pro- 
ductive of  both  the  character  and  administration 
indispensably  required,  Rom.  xiii.  1^  6.  The 
denial  of  this  seems  unreasonable,  even  were 
Scripture  silent  on  the  subject.  Is  not  the  divine 
law  a  complete  rule  of  faith  and  manners?  Is  it 
not  so  to  every  individual  as  such?  If  every  one 
is  individually  bound  thereby,  will  their  union,  in 
a  national  society,  dissolve  the  obligation  ?  Is 
there  any  incompatibility  between  civil  govern- 
ment and  Christianity,  so  that  men  must  be  di- 
vested of  the  latter,  before  they  embark  in  the 
former?  If  not,  should  not  they,  in  every  part 
of  their  administration,  consider  themselves  as 
Christians,  and  remember  their  amenability  to  the 
divine  law?  By  this,  every  action  shall  be 
tried.  Rom.  ii.  12,  "As  many  as  have  sinned 
in  the  law,  shall  be  judged  by  the  law." 

That  the  ecclesiastic  branch  is  bound  by  this 
divine  rule,  is  obvious  to  all.  Mai.  ii.  7.  "For 
the  priest's  lips  should  keep  knowledge,  and  they 
should  seek  the  law  at  his  mouth."  And  in  their 
commission,  the  ambassadors  of  Jesus  are  strictly 
enjoined  to  teach  mankind  to  observe  all  things 
commanded  by  their  divine  Master,  Matt,  xxviii. 
20. 

5.  They  agree,  in  as  much  as  both  have  su- 
preme and  subordinate  judicatories,  in  which  they 
exercise  jurisdiction,  Mat.  xviii.  15,  18,  where 
we  have  a  divine  warrant  for  kirk  sessions. 
These  are  subordinate  to,  and  two  or  more  of 
them  constitute,  a  Presbyterial  judicature,  which 
is  divinely  recognised,  1  Tim.  iv.  14,  and  also 
Acts  viii.  1,  and  xiii.  1.  These  are  subordinate  to, 
and  two  or  more  of  them  constitute,  a  synodical  as- 
sembly, which  also  is  recognised,  Actsxv.  xvi.  chap- 
ters. Here  we  have  a  reference,  convocation,  dis- 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  23 

cussion,  and  the  Synodical  decrees  consequent 
thereupon.  This  may  be  regularly  extended  to 
Ecumenical  or  General  Assemblies  over  the  whole 
habitable  globe,  as  the  word  imports,  and  as  the 
necessity  of  unity  in  counsel  and  co-operation, 
among  the  members  of  the  mystical  body,  evidently 
requires. 

The  supreme  and  subordinate  judicatories  in 
the  state,  are  variously  modified,  at  the  discretion 
of  the  body  politic,  which,  if  not  repugnant  to  the 
moral  law,  ought  to  be  considered  legitimate, 

6.  They  agree,  in  as  much  as  both,  on  account 
of  their  divine  authority,  entitle  their  faithful  exe- 
cutors to  double  honour.     1st  Tim.  v.  17.  "Let 
the  elders  that  rule  well,  be  accounted  worthy  of 
double  honour."     Here    honour  and  respect  are 
enjoined  toward  the  ecclesiastical  branch,  whose 
character  should  be  venerated,  and  their  persons 
cherished  even  for  their  work's  sake. 

Reverence  and  honour  are  also  due  to  the  civil 
branch.  To  this  purpose  we  are  commanded, 
Prov.  xxiv.  21,  to  "fear  God  and  the  king." 
Lawful  rulers  are  God's  vicegerents,  and  ought  to 
be  honoured,  on  account  of  him  whom  they  re- 
present. And  Rom.  xiii.  7,  when,  speaking  of 
the  civil  magistrate,  the  apostle  commands  to 
"render  to  all  their  due,  fear  to  whom  fear,  and 
honour  to  whom  honour." 

7.  They  agree  in  this,  that  the  ultimate  end  of 
both,  in  every  part  of  their  procedure,  should  be 
the  glory  of  God.     In  Isai.  Ixi.  1,  4,  we  are  in- 
formed that  the  grand  end  of  every  part  of  Christ's 
economical  administration,  in  proclaiming  liberty 
to  the  captives,  in  opening  the  prison  doors  to 
them  that  were  bound,  and  announcing  the   ac- 
ceptable year  of  the  Lord,  was,  "that  God  might 
be  glorified." 


24  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

In  like  manner,  to  this  end,  ought  all  the  move- 
ments of  the  civil  branch  to  be  directed.  It  is  a 
divine  ordinance.  Its  executors  are  the  vicege- 
rents of  Jehovah.  Every  act  of  their  administra- 
tion, should,  of  course,  be  a  farther  development  of 
his  character,  and  a  new  manifestation  of  his  glory. 
1st  Cor.  x.  31.  "Whether,  therefore,  ye  eat  or 
drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of 
God."  But  as  it  appears  that  the  two  branches 
agree,  in  several  things,  it  may  be  proper,  still 
farther,  in  the 

IV.  head,  to  show  what  concern  the  civil  branch 
should  take  with  the  ecclesiastic,  or  inquire  how 
far  the  civil  power,  circa  sacra,  reaches. 

That  magistrates  have  officially,  by  divine  au- 
thority, something  to  do  with  religion,  to  enforce 
the  commands  of  God,  and  suppress  the  violations 
of  his  law,  appears  plain  even  from  New  Testa- 
ment  documents.  Rom.  xiii.  4.  "He  (the  magis- 
trate) is  the  minister  of  God."  Now  how  can  he 
be  God's  minister,  and  yet  be  regardless  of  the 
honour  and  laws  of  him,  from  whom  he  has  de- 
rived his  authority?  Moreover,  God's  commands 
are  obligatory  upon  every  one,  in  his  respective 
station  and  relation  in  society. 

When  God  says,  "Buy  the  truth,  and  sell  it 
not,"  "Contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  de- 
livered to  the  saints."  When  he  forbids  "  turning 
aside  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left."  In  one 
word,  when  speaking  of  idolaters,  Deut.  vii.  5,  he 
commands,  "  to  destroy  their  altars,  and  break 
down  their  images,  and  cut  down  their  groves, 
and  burn  their  graven  images  with  fire."  Upon 
whom  are  these  injunctions  obligatory  ?  Is  it 
only  upon  private  individuals  ?  Is  the  magistrate 
exempted?  Does  the  circumstance  of  his  being 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  25 

God's  minister,  loose  him  from  the  obligation  of 
the  divine  law  ? 

This,  indeed,  would  be  doctrine  worthy  of  mo- 
dern  illumination.  But  it  stands  in  direct  contra- 
diction to  the  whole  volume  of  the  book  of  God. 
See  one  passage,  Deut.  xvii.  18,  19.  But  we 
shall  proceed  more  particularly  to  inquire,  what 
concern  the  magistrate  has  officially  with  religion  ? 

1.  He  hath  no  directive  power  about  any  thing 
ecclesiastical.  He  hath  not  any  right  to  prescribe 
rules,  introduce  new  modifications,  or  alter  a  sin- 
gle pin  of  the  sacred  tabernacle.  The  church's 
constitutional  laws  are  derived  from  a  higher  au- 
thority. To  this  she  is  amenable.  Is-ai.  viii.  2(L 
"  To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony;  if  they  speak 
not  according  to  this  word,  it  is  because  there  is 
no  light  in  them."  The  church  judicative,  as 
such,  possessing  the  sacred  depositum  of  the  hea- 
venly oracles,  ought,  as  in  Matt,  xxiii.  10,  "to 
call  no  man  master.  For  one  is  her  master*  even 
Christ." 

2.  He  hath  no  power  in,  but  only  about  eccle- 
siastical concerns.  Every  act  of  his,,  concerning 
religion,  should  be  essentially  and  formally  civil. 
He  may  not  dare  to  touch  either  the  key  of  order, 
or  the  key  of  jurisdiction.  Should  hef  like  Uz.- 
ziah,  presume  to  interfere  with  the  sacred  ministe- 
rial functions,  let  him  dread  the  tremendous  con- 
sequences. He  ought,  like  Asa,  Jehoshaphat,  and 
Hezekiah,  to  contribute  every  effort,  as  far  as  his 
political  influence  can  extend,  to  promote  religious 
reformation.  Thus  we  findr  1st  Tim.  ii.  2,  that 
this  is  the  desirable  end  to  be  effected  by  his 
righteous  administration,  viz. :  "  That  we  may  lead 
a  quiet  and  peaceable  life,  in  all  godliness  and 
honesty." 
3 


26  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

3.  The  civil  magistrate  ought  to  defend  and 
protect  the  church  of  Christ.  Isai.  xlix.  23. 
"Kings  shall  be  thy  nursing  fathers,  and  their 
queens  thy  nursing  mothers,"  <fcc.  Does  not  this 
imply  protection?  The  metaphors  selected  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  involve  the  highest  possible 
care  and  tenderness.  I  know  it  has  been  objected 
by  some,  that  the  tender  care  and  concern  here 
intended,  is  not  official,  but  merely  personal,  as 
an  individual  member  of  the  church.  The  reason 
assigned  is,  that  the  epithet  involving  concern  is 
not  confined  to  kings,  but  is  common  to  all  their 
queens :  and  this  must  be  acknowledged  to  be  un- 
official. Sure  none  are  exempted  from  being  con- 
cerned about  the  interests  of  religion.  The  irre- 
levancy of  the  objection  will  appear,  by  attending  to 
an  observation  formerly  made,  viz.  that  the  com- 
mands of  God  are  obligatory  upon  every  one,  in 
his  respective  station  and  department  of  life. 
Queens  are  bound  to  exercise  all  the  influence, 
which  in  the  providence  of  God  is  conferred  upon 
them,  in  promoting  the  religion  of  Jesus.  Kings 
or  civil  magistrates,  in  like  manner  are  indispen- 
sably bound  to  exercise  all  the  power  which 
they  possess  in  their  stations,  to  promote  the  same 
desirable  end.  Whatever  quantity  of  this  po.wer 
is  kept  back,  is  so  much  unliquidated  debt  due  to 
the  Messiah,  by  the  express  command  of  that 
God  whom  magistrates  represent.  Ps.  ii.  12. 
"Kiss  ye  the  Son,  lest  he  be  angry."  When 
Christ's  mystical  body  needs  this  power,  and  the 
magistrate  withholds  the  benefit  of  it,  does  he  not 
run  the  risk  of  being  charged  by  Jesus,  at  the  last 
day,  as  we  read,  Mat.  xxv.  42,  45  ?  "I  was  an 
hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat;  I  was  thirsty. 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  27 

and  ye  gave  me  no  drink,  &c.  Inasmuch  as  ye 
did  it  not  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  bre- 
thren, ye  did  it  not  to  rne." 

This  same  idea  of  protection,  tenderness  and 
care,  as  a  blessing,  to  be  expected  in  New  Testa- 
ment times,  is  held  out,  Is.  Ix.  10,  and  16. 
"Kings  shall  minister  unto  thee,"  and  "thou  shalt 
suck  the  breast  of  kings."  All  these  passages 
evidently  intimate  that  the  civil  power  shall  be 
exercised  in  administering  officially  to  the  church 
every  comfort  which  may  be  expected  to  result 
from  the  union  of  magistratical  authority  and 
paternal  care;  such  as  defending  her  from  her 
enemies,  and  securing  to  her  all  her  privileges. 

Moreover,  when  in  1st  Tim.  ii.  2,  we  are  com- 
manded to  pray  for  magistrates,  and  the  end  pro- 
posed is,  that  the  church  and  people  of  God,  un- 
der the  wing  of  their  protection,  "  may  lead  quiet 
and  peaceable  lives  in  all  godliness  and  honesty." 
Either  indifference,  therefore,  on  the  part  of  the 
state,  toward  the  church,  or  an  equal  protection 
to  her  enemies,  is  notoriously  incompatible  with 
the  ideas  obviously  contained  in  these  sacred  pas- 


4.  He  ought,  by  his  civil  power,  to  remove  all 
external  impediments  to  the  true  religion  and  wor- 
ship of  God,  whether  they  be  persons  or  things; 
such  as  persecution,  profaneness,  heresy,  idolatry, 
and  their  abettors,  as  did  Asa,  Hezeldah,  Josiah, 
and  other  pious  kings. 

Thus  we  are  informed  in  the  ninth  chapter  of 
second  Kings,  that  Jehu  was  anointed  to  cut  off 
the  idolatrous  house  of  Ahab.  In  the  tenth  chap- 
ter we  are  told,  verse  25th,  that  he  destroyed  the 
worshippers  of  Baal ;  and  in  the  30th  verse,  God 
commends  him  for  doing  so.  And  expressly  on 


28  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

that  account,  promises  his  children  the  throne  of 
Israel,  to  the  fourth  generation. 

Farther,  to  the  same  purpose,  we  have  the  ap- 
proved conduct  of  Asa,  1st  Kings  xv.  12,  25. 
"And  he  took  away  the  Sodomites  out  of  the 
land,  and  removed  all  the  idols  that  his  father  had 
made.  And  also  Maachah  his  mother,  even  her, 
he  removed  from  being  queen,  because  she  had 
made  an  idol  in  a  grove;  and  Asa  destroyed  her 
idol,  and  burnt  it  by  the  brook  Kidron."  And  in 
this,  we  are  told,  "He  did  that  wrhich  was  right 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  as  did  David  his  father," 
verse  11. 

Yea,  he  is  even  complained  of,  in  the  14th  verse, 
because  the  high  places  were  not  removed  also. 
This,  however,  he  afterwards  performed,  as  appears 
from  2d  Chron.  xiv.  2,  5,  where  we  have  some 
more  fragments  of  his  history,  "He  took  away 
the  altars  of  the  strange  gods,  and  the  high  places, 
and  brake  down  the  images,  and  cut  down  the 
groves,"  and  in  this,  "Asa  did  that  which  was 
good,  and  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  his  God." 

An  approved  example  is  equal  to  a  precept; 
but  precepts  are  not  wanting  see  Deut.  :HB*  5, 
18,20,  Zech.  xiii.  3,  and  Rev.  xvii.  16.  Were 
it  needful,  we  might  quote  also  the  authority 
of  the  most  reformed  churches  in  Europe,  as  also 
the  most  eminent  martyrs.  "  We  are  encompassed 
about  with  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses." 

The  sentiments  of  that  venerable  assembly 
which  penned  the  Larger  Catechism,  are  full  and 
explicit  on  this  subject.  "The  duties  required  in 
the  second  commandment,  are,  the  detesting,  dis- 
approving, opposing  all  false  worship,  and  accord- 
ing to  each  one's  place  and  calling,  removing  it 
and  all  monuments  of  idolatry."  See  Larger  Cat. 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  29 

quest.  108.  In  this  point,  we  might  reasonably 
suppose  all  the  Presbyterians  in  North  America 
to  be  agreed,  as  the  above  question  from  the  Lar- 
ger Catechism  has  been  adopted,  verbatim,  into 
the  creed  and  church  constitutions  of  every  deno- 
mination of  them,  without  exception.  See  said 
Catechism,  as  ratified  and  adopted  in  their  consti- 
tutions. 

5.  He  ought  to  use  every  lawful  endeavour  to 
promote  purity,  unity,  and  reformation,  in  the 
church.  Doing  so,  he  will  suffer  none  to  admi- 
nister ordinances,  but  those  duly  warranted  by  ec- 
clesiastical authority.  Independently  of  this,  they 
are  only  impostors,  who,  like  the  locusts,  devour 
every  green  thing,  susceptive  of  their  poisonous  in- 
fluence, and  subvert  the  purity  and  unity  of  the 
Gospel  church. 

He  will  also  call  on  ecclesiastics,  as  his  subjects, 
to  be  active  and  diligent  in  the  performance  of 
duty.  2  Chron.  xxix.  5.  Hezekiah  commanded 
the  ministers  of  the  altar  to  attend  to  their  re- 
spective functions.  "  Hear  me,  ye  Levites,  sanctify 
yourselves,  and  sanctify  the  house  of  the  Lord 
God  of  your  fathers,  and  carry  forth  the  filthiness 
out  of  the  holy  place."  In  this  he  acted  not  the 
part  of  a  legislator,  but  only  enforced  the  laws  of 
his  God,  agreeably  to  the  constitution  of  the  king- 
dom, and  required  his  subjects  faithfully  to  per- 
form their  duty. 

In  the  thirtieth  chapter,  he  exhorts,  entreats,  and 
commands  the  people,  to  come  to  the  house  of  God, 
and  keep  the  passover.  And  when  the  magistrate 
commands  what  is  expressly  required  by  the  law 
of  God,  his  subjects  are  bound  to  obey.  Rom.  xiii. 
1.  "  Let  every  soul  be  subject  to  the  higher  pow- 
ers." 

3* 


30  THE   TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

It  may  perhaps  be  inquired,  what  are  those 
things  which  he  may  lawfully  command  ?  To  this 
I  answer,  he  may  lawfully  command  whatever  is 
contained  in  the  constitution,  prescribed  by  him 
whom  he  represents.  Deut.  xvii.  18,  we  are  told 
what  this  is,  namely,  the  Divine  Law.  Whatever 
penalties  are  specified  in  that  law,  and  nowhere 
either  repealed  or  mitigated,  should  be  duly  in- 
flicted, in  case  of  disobedience.  Where  the  law  is 
silent  or  indefinite,  with  respect  to  particular 
crimes,  against  any  precept  of  the  decalogue,  and 
the  punishment  due  thereto,  great  prudence  and 
discretion  will  be  necessary  to  ascertain,  whether 
said  crimes  are  punishable  by  civil  pains,  as  there 
are  many  violations  of  the  moral  law  to  which  no 
particular  civil  penalty  can  attach. 

Nothing  should  be  held  censurable  by  the 
church,  or  punishable  by  the  state,  but  what  is 
plainly  contrary  to  the  law  of  God ;  and  become 
duly  public,  independently  of  requiring  self-accu- 
sation. 

But  even  when  the  crime  is  ascertained  to  be, 
in  its  nature  and  circumstances,  punishable,  great 
discretion  is  necessary  in  fixing  both  the  quantity 
and  quality  of  the  penalty.  Perhaps,  in  certain 
particular  states  of  society,  forbearance,  without 
punishment,  even  of  many  real  crimes  against  both 
church  and  state,  would  be  most  prudent  and  eli- 
gible. But  here,  wisdom  is  peculiarly  necessary 
to  direct.  But  when  it  would  be  improper  thus 
to  remit  the  punishment  of  these  crimes,  we  ob- 
served that  the  quality  and  quantity  should  be  par- 
ticularly attended  to.  In  many  of  them,  the 
quality  should  be  negative,  consisting  in  depriva- 
tion of  privileges,  which  might  otherwise  be  en- 
joyed. For  the  breach  of  the  tenth  commandment, 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  31 

the  divine  law  has  provided  no  other  civil  punish- 
ment. This  is  clearly  implied  in  Exod.  xviii.  21, 
where  we  are  told,  the  magistrate  must  be  a  man 
"  fearing  God  and  hating  covetousness."  If  such 
only  are  eligible,  the  covetous  man  is,  of  course, 
disqualified.  The  same  might,  perhaps,  hold  with 
those,  who  are  habitual  in  the  neglect  of  religious 
duties,  as  also  with  other  descriptions  too  tedious 
to  enumerate. 

With  respect  to  the  quantity  of  a  penalty,  in 
crimes  of  a  particular  nature,  not  specially  pro- 
vided for  in  the  divine  law,  there  may  be  much  dis- 
cretionary power  exercised,  according  to  particular 
emergencies;  taking  care,  however,  that  the  divine 
law  may  never  be  violated.  In  such  cases,  the 
light  of  nature  will  be  greatly  subservient  to  the 
general  rules  of  Scripture.  Ezra  vii.  26.  Arta- 
xerxes  orders,  "Whosoever  will  not  do  the  law  of 
thy  God,  let  judgment  be  executed  speedily  upon 
him,  whether  it  be  unto  death,  or  banishment,  or 
confiscation  of  goods,  or  imprisonment."  And  in 
the  next  verse,  Ezra  blesses  the  Lord  his  God,  for 
putting  it  into  the  king's  heart. 

But  to  return  to  Hezekiah.  We  find  him,  by 
civil  authority,  endeavouring  to  effect  purity,  unity 
and  reformation  in  the  church,  and  his  exertions 
accompanied  with  the  smiles  of  Jehovah's  appro- 
bation ;  for,  in  the  twelfth  verse  of  the  thirteenth 
chapter  of  second  Chronicles,  we  read,  that  in 
"  Judah  the  hand  of  God  was  to  give  them  one 
heart,  to  do  the  commandment  of  the  king,  and  of 
the  princes,  by  the  word  of  the  Lord."  In  order 
to  effect  these  desirable  ends,  he  has  a  right  to  con- 
voke synods,  and  councils,  consisting  of  ecclesias- 
tical persons,  to  consult  and  advise  how  the  church 
is  to  be  purged  from  corruptions,  and  the  truths  of 


32  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

God  most  successfully  propagated.  For  this,  we 
have  the  approved  example  of  pious  magistrates 
under  the  Old  Testament,  as  Asa,  Josiah,  Heze- 
kiah,  &c. 

Moreover,  these  four  EcumenicalCouncils  were 
called  by  Christian  magistrates.  Constantine  called 
the  first  Nicene  Council :  Theodosius  the  elder, 
the  first  Council  at  Constantinople :  Theodosius 
the  younger,  the  first  Ephesian  Council :  Marcian 
the  Chalcedon  Council, 

6.  They  ought  to  support  the  laws  of  God,  by 
their  secular  authority,  as  keepers  of  both  tables 
of  the  law,  enjoining  and  commanding  all  to  ob- 
serve the  same  under  such  civil  pains  as  may  be 
calculated  to  effect  their  performance.  Thus,  2d 
Chron.34th  chapter,  good  Josiah,  after  he  had  re- 
moved all  the  idolatrous  images,  altars  and  groves, 
and  cleansed  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  commanded 
the  priests  to  inquire  of  the  Lord  for  him,  and  for 
all  that  were  left  in  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  con- 
cerning all  the  words  of  the  book  which  had  been 
found  by  Hilkiah  the  priest  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  and  enjoined  all  that  were  present  in  Jeru- 
salem, and  Benjamin,  to  attend  to,  and  observe  its 
contents. 

Thus,  the  civil  authority  is  concerned,  in  sanc- 
tioning and  ratifying  the  laws  of  the  Most  High 
God,  acting  as  a  terror  to  evil-doers,  and  a  praise 
to  them  that  do  well. 

The  fourth  commandment,  whose  obligation  is 
perpetual,  is  directed  to  every  relation.  Every 
private  individual  must  observe  the  law  of  God; 
but  heads  of  families,  and  other  superiors,  must 
not  only  observe  it  themselves,  but  make  those 
under  their  authority  do  so  likewise,  as  far  as  their 
influence  can  extend,  and  also  punish  obstinate 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  33 

violators  thereof.  "I  know,"  says  God,  "that 
Abraham  will  command  his  children  and  house- 
hold after  him."  So  the  magistrate  must  provide, 
that  the  Sabbath  be  sanctified  in  all  his  gates ;  that 
is,  as  far  as  his  civil  authority  extends.  Yea,  we 
find  even  heathen  kings  ratifying  the  laws  of  the 
Most  High  God,  Ezra  vii.  23.  The  decree  of 
Artaxerxes,  is,  "  Whatsoever  is  commanded  by  the 
God  of  Heaven,  let  it  be  done  for  the  house  of  the 
God  of  Heaven." 

As  it  is  his  duty  to  ratify  the  law  of  God,  in  like 
manner  he  ought  to  sanction,  by  his  civil  authority, 
the  decrees  of  ecclesiastical  courts,  when  agreeable 
to  the  law  of  God,  and  calculated  to  promote  his 
glory.  Those  he  civilly  adopts,  as  good  and  whole- 
some laws,  tending  to  promote  the  happiness  of 
the  realm,  and  the  glory  of  God,  the  King  of  na- 
tions. Hence  it  is,  that  good  neighbourhood  is 
promoted  between  church  and  state,  and  harmony 
and  mutual  co-operation  between  the  testimony  of 
Israel,  and  the  thrones  of  the  house  of  David,  Ps. 
cxxii.  4, 

7.  He  ought,  also,  to  exercise  a  compulsory  and 
punitive  power  about  things  religious.  This  ex- 
tends to  all  persons  within  his  jurisdiction.  Rom. 
xiii.  1.  Every  soul  is  strictly  enjoined  to  be  sub- 
ject to  his  authority. 

Should  it  be  inquired,  what  is  the  standard  re- 
gulating this  subjection  ?  we  reply,  the  law  of 
God.  This  is  the  unerring  rule,  whereby  the  ex- 
ercise of  his  authority,  and  their  subjection  there- 
unto, will  be  tried.  Isai.  viii.  20.  "  To  the  law 
and  the  testimony,"  &c.  This  law  he  is  obliged 
to  execute,  under  pain  of  Jehovah's  displeasure, 
Deut.  xvii.  18.  Those  who  refuse  to  obey,  and 
so  obstruct  the  wheels  of  government,  and  dis- 


31  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

honour  the  God  of  nations,  he  is  authorized  to 
punish. 

That  offences  against  the  second  table  of  the 
moral  law  are  punishable,  is  admitted  by  all. 
This,  therefore,  requires  no  proof. 

That  breaches  of  the  first  table  should  also  be 
punished,  is  equally  warranted  by  reason,  and  the 
word  of  God,  Let  us  examine  the  penalties  an- 
nexed to  the  obstinate  violation  of  the  first  four 
precepts  of  the  decalogue.  With  respect  to  the 
first  of  these,  see  Deut.  xiii.  1,  5.  "If  there  arise 
among  you  a  prophet,  or  a  dreamer  of  dreams — 
that  prophet,  or  that  dreamer  of  dreams,  shall  be 
put  to  death,  because  he  hath  spoken  lies,  to  turn 
you  away  from  the  Lord  your  God,  which  brought 
you  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt."  Shall  the  magis- 
trate punish  the  man  who  rebels  against  his  own 
authority,  and  pass  with  impunity,  or  extend  pro- 
tection to  the  man,  who, "  untrembling,  mouths  the 
heavens,"  and  points  his  artillery  at  the  throne  of 
the  Omnipotent? 

With  respect  to  the  second  commandment,  the 
penalty  annexed  to  the  breach  of  it  is  also  ex- 
pressly stated  in  Deut.  xiii.  6.  "If  thy  brother, 
the  son  of  thy  mother,  or  thy  son,  or  thy  daughter, 
or  the  wife  of  thy  bosom,  or  thy  friend,  which  is 
as  thine  own  soul,  entice  thee  secretly,  saying, 
Come,  let  us  go,  serve  other  gods — thou  shalt  not 
consent  unto  him,  neither  shalt  thou  spare,  neither 
shalt  thou  conceal  him,  but  thou  shalt  surely  kill 
him."  Compare  Exod.  xxxii.  27.  Shall  a  rob- 
ber of  a  little  earthly  property  be  severely  pu- 
nished ?  And  shall  he  who  robs  God  of  his  glory, 
and  gives  it  to  graven  images,  stocks,  and  stones, 
who,  as  in  Hab.  i.  16,  sacrifices  unto  his  net,  and 
burns  incense  to  his  drag,  be  allowed  to  pass  with 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  35 

impunity?  Hear  what  Job  the  Chaldean,  (who 
lived  not  under  the  Jewish  economy)  says,  chap. 
xxxi.  26,  28.  "  If  I  beheld  the  sun  when  it  shined, 
or  the  moon  walking  in  brightness ;  and  my  heart 
hath  been  secretly  enticed,  or  my  mouth  hath  kissed 
my  hand ;  this  also  were  an  iniquity  to  be  punished 
by  the  judge." 

With  respect  to  the  third  precept  of  the  deca- 
logue, we  are  informed,  Lev.  xxiv.  15,  16. 
"  Whosoever  curseth  his  God,  shall  bear  his  sin, 
and  he  that  blasphemeth  the  name  of  the  Lord,  he 
shall  surely  be  put  to  death ;  and  all  the  congrega- 
tion shall  stone  him,"  &e.  Shall  a  man  be  pu- 
nished for  a  treasonable  expression  against  an 
earthly  magistrate,  and  be  protected  in  blas- 
pheming Christ,  denying  his  divinity,  and  vili- 
fying and  reproaching  his  blessed  Spirit!!  "If  he 
that  despised  Moses'  law,  died  without  mercy, 
under  two  or  three  witnesses  ;  of  how  much  sorer 
punishment,  suppose  ye,  shall  he  be  thought  wor- 
thy, who  hath  trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of  God, 
and  hath  counted  the  blood  of  the  covenant  where- 
with he  was  sanctified,  an  unholy  thing,  and  hath 
done  despite  unto  the  Spirit  of  grace  ?"  Heb.  x. 
28,  29. 

With  respect  to  the  fourth,  we  may  consult  Ne- 
hemiah  xiii.  15,  19.  When  the  people  about  Je- 
rusalem engaged  about  secular  employments,  bear- 
ing burdens,  and  trafficking  out  and  in  the  city, 
he  expostulates  with  them,  shuts  the  gate  of  the 
city,  and  sets  his  servants  to  see  that  no  burdens 
be  brought  in  on  the  Sabbath.  And  in  the  21st 
verse,  he  testifies  against  the  merchants  who  lodged 
about  the  gates  and  wall,  saying,  "Why  lodge  ye 
about  the  wall?  If  ye  do  so  again,  I  will  lay  hands 
on  you."  Here,  we  have  an  approved  example, 


36  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

for  punishing  the  obstinate  violators  of  the  holy 
Sabbath.  Thus,  the  breakers  of  all  the  precepts 
of  the  first  table  are  punishable  by  civil  pains. 

I  cannot  here  omit  quoting  the  following  para- 
graph from  Gillespie's  Miscellaneous  Questions. 
"  Is  not  (says  he)  the  mischief  of  a  blind  guide 
greater  than  if  he  acted  treason,  &c.,  and  the  loss 
of  one  soul  by  seduction,  greater  mischief  than  if 
he  blew  up  Parliament,  cut  the  throat  of  kings  or 
emperors,  so  precious  is  that  invaluable  jewel  of 
a  soul.  And  (says  he)  when  the  church  of  Christ 
sinketh  in  a  state,  let  not  that  state  think  to  swim. 
Religion  and  righteousness  flourish  and  fade,  stand 
or  fall  together.  They  who  are  false  to  God  will 
never  prove  faithful  to  men." 

8.  He  hath  a  right  to  judge  of  the  decrees  of  ec- 
clesiastical assemblies,  whether  they  are  agree- 
able to  the  law  of  God,  the  supreme  law  of  the 
land.  1st  Thess.  v.  21.  The  command  to  "  prove 
all  things,"  is  obligatory  on  the  magistrate,  as  well 
as  others.  He  also  is  bound  to  use  the  rule  of 
unerring  rectitude.  Isa.  viii.  20.  "To  the  law 
and  the  testimony,  if  they  speak  not  according  to 
this  word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in  them." 

Before  he  gives  his  sanction  to  any  church  deed, 
he  must  bring  it  to  this  sacred  touch-stone ;  if  it 
agrees  therewith,  he  ought  to  ratify  it,  if  not, 'he 
has  not  only  a  right  to  reject  it,  but  he  is  also 
bound  to  stamp  his  negative  upon  it. 

This  ratification  of  it  is  solely  civil,  and  similar 
to  his  sanctioning  of  civil  ordinances. 

If  this  power  is  denied  him,  he  must  be  con- 
sidered as  a  being  of  no  discretion,  and,  conse- 
quently, unfit  to  be  a  civil  magistrate.  To  suppose 
him  bound  to  ratify  whatever  the  church  might 
decree,  without  previous  examination  and  convic- 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  37 

tion  of  its  propriety,  would  make  him  a  mere  tool, 
fit  for  nothing  but  propping  up  the  crazy  chair  of 
the  man  of  sin.  But  as  we  have  endeavoured  to 
show  what  the  civil  power  ought  to  do  for  the 
church,  it  will  be  necessary,  in  the 

V.  place,  to  show  what  is  the  character  of  the 
civil  branch,  from  which  this  is  to  be  expected. 
And, 

1.  It  should  possess  wisdom  and  understanding 
Ex.  xviii.  21.     "Moreover  thou  shalt  provide  out 
of  all  the  people,  able  men."     And  Deut.  i.  13. 
"  Take  ye  wise  men  and  understanding — and  make 
them  rulers  over  you."     They  must  be  men  of 
ability,  possessing  wisdom  and  prudence,  and  well 
acquainted  with  the  laws  of  the  Most  High  God. 
Thus  it  is,  that  "wisdom  and  knowledge  shall  be 
the  stability"  of  their  administration,  Isa.  xxxiii.  6. 
And  without  this,  there  can  be  no  reasonable  ex- 
pectation that  they  will  answer  the  ends  of  their 
appointment. 

2.  Another  part  of  their  character,  is,  a  profes- 
sion of  Christianity.    For  a  Christian  people  to  ap- 
point a  Deist  to  govern  them,  to  say  nothing  of  its 
repugnancy  to  the  divine  law,  is  even  shameful. 
It  is  just  like  the  trees  in  Jotham's  parable,  Judges, 
ix.  1 4.     "  Then  said  all  the  trees  unto  the  bramble, 
Come  thou,  and   reign  over  us."     Because  they 
could  not  find  a  tree  of  more  generous  growth,  to 
govern  them.     But  this  is  contrary  to  the  express 
command  of  God.     Deut.  xvii.  15.     "Thou  shalt 
in  any  wise  set  him  king  over  thee,  whom  the 
Lord  thy  God  shall  choose :  one  from  among  thy 
brethren  shalt  thou  set  king  over  thee  ;  thou  maye&t 
not  set  a  stranger  over  thee,  which  is  not  thy  bro- 
ther."    Is  it  to  be  expected  that  the  man,  who  is 
not  a  brother  in  the  profession  of  the  religion  of 

4 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

Jesus,  but  an  obstinate  Infidel,  will  make  his  ad- 
ministration bend  to  the  interests  of  Immanuel, 
whose  existence  he  denies,  whose  religion  he 
mocks,  and  whose  kingdom  he  believes  to  be  ficti- 
tious? 

3.  Another  character  is,  uprightness  and  inte- 
grity.    Exod.  xviii.  21,  we  are  here  informed  that 
they  should  be  "such  as  fear  God,  men  of  truth, 
hating   eovetousness."     The    high   responsibility 
connected  with  their  station,  requires  men  of  recti- 
tude, and  integrity  of  character;    thus,   2d  Sam. 
xxiii.  2,  3.     "  The    Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by 
me,  and  his  word  was  in  my  tongue.     He  that 
ruleth  over  men  must  be  just,  ruling  in  the  fear  of 
God." 

4.  They  must  be  a  terror  to  evil  doers.     Rom. 
xiii.  3,  5.     "  For  rulers  are  not  a  terror  to  good 
works,   bift  to   the   evil — the   ministers  of  God. 
avengers  to   execute  wrath  upon  him  that  doeth 
evil."     Hence,  we  are  informed  "he  beareth  not 
the  sword  in  vain,"  suppressing,  as  far  as  his  in- 
fluence can  extend,  every  violation  of  the  divine 
law. 

5.  They  must  be  a  "  praise  to  them  that  do 
well."     1st  Pet.  ii.  14.     Rewarding  and  encou- 
raging the  virtuous,  "that  they  may  live  quiet  and 
peaceable  lives  in   all   godliness    and   honesty." 
Solomon's  administration  is  represented  as  being 
of  this  description,  Ps.  Ixxii.  7.    "  In  his  days  shall 
the  righteous  flourish  and  possess  abundance  of 
peace." 

6.  They  should  be  continually  attentive  to  offi- 
cial duty.     Rom.  xiii.  6.     "  For  they  are  God's 
ministers,   attending   continually  upon  this  very 
thing."     If  this  were  duly  attended  to,  not  only 
would  magistratieal  functions  be  better  executed, 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL  39 

but  the  absurdity  of  Erastianism  would  at  once 
appear. 

The  church  functionary  is  also  commanded  to 
attend  continually  to  his  department.  1st  Tim.  iv. 
15.  "Give  thyself  wholly  to  them."  Of  course, 
some  are  provided  (exclusively  of  the  civil  magis- 
trate) whose  business  it  is  to  manage  ecclesiastical 
concerns.  But  if  this  also  was  formally  the  ma- 
gistrate's official  duty,  why  should  others  belong- 
ing to  another  department  be  appointed  ?  Farther, 
how  could  the  magistrate  attend  continually  upon 
this  very  thing,  viz.  his  own  official  duty,  which 
is  purely  civil,  and  at  the  same  time  attend  to  ano- 
ther concern,  which  is  not  civil?  Common  sense 
teaches,  that  if  he  attend  continually  upon  the  one, 
the  other  will  of  course  be  neglected. 

7.  The  civil  magistrate  should  be  a  keeper  of 
both  tables  of  the  law  of  God.  Deut.  xvii.  18,  19. 
"And  it  shall  be  when  he  sitteth  upon  the  throne 
of  his  kingdom,  that  he  shall  write  him  a  copy  of 
the  law  in  a  book,  out  of  that  which  is  before  the 
priests,  the  Levites.  And  it  shall  be  with  him, 
and  he  shall  read  therein  all  the  days  of  his  life: 
that  he  may  learn  to  fear  the  Lord  his  God,  to 
keep  all  the  words  of  this  law,  and  these  statutes 
to  do  them."  How  can  he  be  God's  minister,  if 
he  be  regardless  of  his  law?  And  where  can  he 
find  such  a  constitution,  as  that  provided  for  him 
by  the  Spirit  of  infinite  wisdom  ?  By  this  he  is 
indispensably  bound,  in  his  official  capacity,  as 
well  as  his  subjects  are,  in  their  private  individual 
capacity.  But  as  we  have  been  endeavouring  to 
characterize  the  civil  branch,  from  which  protec- 
tion to  the  church  may  be  expected,  it  will  be  pro- 
per in  the 

VI.    place,   to    characterize   the   ecclesiastical 


40  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

branch,  which  is  of  right  entitled  to  this  protec- 
tion.    And, 

1.  Her  constitution  should  be  agreeable  to,  and 
founded  on,  the  word  of  God.    Heb.  viii.  5.  "See 
(says  God)  thou  make  all  things  according  to  the 
pattern  showed   to  thee  in   the  mount."      This 
suits  every  possible  purpose  of  edification.     2d 
Tim.  iii.  16,  17.     "All  Scripture  is  given  by  in- 
spiration of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for 
reproof,  for  correction,  and  for  instruction  in  right- 
eousness; that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect, 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works." 

2.  Her  officers  should  be  regularly  introduced 
to  ministerial  functions,  by  the  presbyterial  impo- 
sition of  hands.     1st  Tim.  iv.  14:  "Neglect  not 
the  gift  that  is  in  thee  by  prophecy,  and  the  lay- 
ing on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery."     The 
awful  catastrophe  of  Korah,  Dathan,  &c.,  should 
be  viewed  as  a  beacon  to  all,  who,  by  their  am- 
bitious dispositions,  would  be  in  danger  of  splitting 
on  this  tremendous  rock. 

Christ  denominates  those  who  come  not  in  by 
the  door,  "thieves  and  robbers;"  and  in  Matt.  vii. 
15,  commands  us  to  "beware  of  false  prophets, 
who  come  to  us  in  sheep's  clothing,  but  inwardly 
are  ravening  wolves."  Let  none  expect  to  profit 
by  their  ministrations.  "I  have  not  sent  them, 
(saith  the  Lord,)  yet  they  ran :  therefore,  they 
shall  not  profit  this  people." 

3.  She  should  "contend  earnestly  for  the  faith 
once  delivered  to  the  saints."  Jude  3,  and  1st  Tim. 
vi.  20 :  "  O  Timothy,  keep  that  which  is  committed 
to  thy  care."     In  doing  this,  as  with  faces  of  flint 
and  brows  of  brass,  they  should  be  explicit,  bold, 
and  valiant,  whether  the  generation  unto  which 
they  are  sent  will  hear  or  forbear.     There  is  no 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  41 

neutrality  in  Christ's  service.  Judges  v.  23  : 
"  Curse  ye  Meroz,  (saith  the  angel  of  the  Lord,) 
curse  ye  bitterly  the  inhabitants  thereof:  because 
they  came  not  up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  the 
help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty." 

The  very  light  of  nature  suggests  the  propriety 
of  being  plain  and  explicit  with  our  brethren  of 
mankind.  Should  we  see  our  neighbour  in  dan- 
ger of  falling  into  a  pit,  where  destruction  would 
be  inevitable,  would  we  not  violate  the  natural 
laws  of  humanity,  if  we  did  not  warn  him  of  his 
danger  1  Nay,  would  we  not,  to  a  certain  degree, 
be  considered,  by  the  divine  law,  as  accessary  to 
his  ruin?  Of  infinitely  more  importance  is  the 
salvation  of  the  soul.  Says  our  Lord,  "What 
shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul?" 

To  faithful  testimony-bearing,  the  following 
things  are  necessary  :  1st.  A  just,  summary,  and 
clear  statement  of  the  truths  contained  in  the  sa- 
cred oracles.  2d.  A  clear  refutation  of  the  oppo- 
site errors,  and  especially  those  that  unhinge  the 
present  truth,  or  word  of  Christ's  patience.  3d. 
A  life  and  conversation  becoming  the  gospel ;  with- 
out which,  the  other  two  are  only  a  burlesque 
upon  the  religion  of  Jesus. 

4.  Her  discipline  should  be  impartial.  1st  Tim. 
v.  20:  "Them  that  sin,  rebuke  before  all,  that 
others  also  may  fear."  This  is  to  be  done  with 
singleness  of  heart,  and  a  deep  sense  of  our  re- 
sponsibility to  the  church's  Head.  Hence,  verse 
21:  "I  charge  thee,  before  God,  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  the  elect  angels,  that  thou  ob- 
serve these  things,  without  preferring  one  an- 
other, doing  nothing  by  partiality."  The  rich 
should  have  no  preference  above  the  poor.  1st 
Tim.  vi.  17:  "  Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this 
4* 


42  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

world,  that  they  be  not  high-minded,  nor  trust  in 
uncertain  riches,  but  in  the  living  God,  who  giveth 
us  all  things  richly  to  enjoy." 

5.  Her  worship  should  be  pure,  and  free  from 
all   human  inventions.      1st  Tim.  iv.  16:  "Take 
heed  to  thyself  and  to  thy  doctrine."     It  is  a  mat- 
ter of  vast  importance,  not  only  from  the  consi- 
deration that  it  incurs  the  vengeance  of  Almighty 
God  upon   the    innovators,  but  also    because   it 
poisons  the  souls  of  men.     It  should  be  therefore 
such,  and  such  only,  as  God   has  commanded. 
"In  vain,   (says   Christ,)   do   they  worship    me, 
teaching  for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men." 
Matt.  xv.  9.     Those  who  add  to,  or  diminish  from 
the  volume  of  God's  book,  may  abide  the  awful 
consequences.     Rev.  xxii.  18,  19. 

Query:  Is  it  not  a  matter  of  importance  to 
know  whether  the  singing  an  "  Imitation  of  David's 
Psalms,"  in  any  sense  incurs  the  above  penalty? 

6.  Her  ministry  should  be  learned  and  pious. 
Without  the  former,  they  will  only  betray,  through 
ignorance,  their  cause  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy; 
without  the  latter,  they  will  pollute  the  sacred 
sanctuary. 

Consider,  for  a  moment,  what  a  ridiculous 
figure  the  ambassador  sent  to  negotiate  with  a 
foreign  nation  would  make,  who  could  not  read 
his  master's  commission.  Would  such  a  one 
be  qualified  to  be  an  ambassador  to  an  earthly 
potentate?  Is  not  the  negotiation  of  the  King 
of  kings  much  more  important,  than  the  adjust- 
ment of  the  differences  between  states  and  em- 
pires? 

When  Christ  called  his  ministers  in  an  extra- 
ordinary manner,  he  gave  them  extraordinary 
qualifications:  and  among  these  we  find  the  gift 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  43 

of  tongues.  In  1st  Tim.  i.  7,  those  are  severely 
reprehended,  who  presume  to  enter  on  an  office, 
without  due  qualifications,  "desiring  to  be  teachers 
of  the  law,  yet  understanding  neither  what  they 
say,  nor  whereof  they  affirm."  Such  are  the 
clouds  of  illiterate,  methodistic  locusts,  which 
darken  the  horizon  of  these  states.  Without 
abilities,  natural  or  acquired,  they  pour  forth  like 
torrents  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  lead  aside 
the  simple  and  unwary.  The  infuriated  zeal  with 
which  they  propagate  their  poisonous  doctrines, 
resembles  much  the  character  of  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  mentioned,  Matt,  xxiii.  15:  "Who 
compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte,  and 
when  he  is  made,  he  is  rendered  two-fold  more 
the  child  of  hell  than  themselves." 

Without  a  due  measure  of  learning,  how  can 
they  meet  the  cavillings  of  deists,  and  crafty  im- 
postors, and  so  act  the  part  of  an  Evangelist,  re- 
quired, Tit.  i.  9,  namely,  to  be  able  to  convince 
the  gainsayers,  and  put  adversaries  to  silence? 

7.  They  should  be  exemplary  in  life  and  con- 
versation. Even  before  they  are  clothed  with 
official  character,  it  is  required  that  they  "have 
a  good  report  of  them  that  are  without."  1st 
Tim.  iii.  7.  And  to  this  purpose  is  the  benedic- 
tion of  Moses  to  the  sacerdotal  tribe.  Deut. 
xxxiii.  8  :  "And  of  Levi,  he  said,  Let  thy  Urim 
and  thy  Thummim  be  with  thy  Holy  One."  Let 
illumination  of  mind,  and  rectitude  and  integrity 
of  character,  be  the  portion  of  him  who  is  devoted 
to  sacred  functions.  The  influence  which  their 
example  will  have  on  the  generation  is  of  great 
moment. 

The  proverb,  "  Like  priests,  like  people,"  gene- 
rally holds  good.  Hence  it  is  said  of  this  same 


44  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

Levi,  when  "the  law  of  truth  was  in  his  mouth, 
and  iniquity  was  not  found  in  his  lips,  he  turned 
many  from  iniquity.5'  Mai.  ii.  6.  But  when,  as 
in  the  eighth  verse,  "  the  priests  departed  out  of 
the  way,"  what  is  the  consequence?  "They 
caused  many  to  stumble  at  the  law."  Thus  we 
are  commanded,  Matt.  v.  16,  "To  let  our  light  so 
shine  before  men,  that  they,  seeing  our  good 
works,  may  glorify  our  Father  which  is  in  hea- 
ven." This  is  eminently  obligatory  on  the  minis- 
ters of  the  altar,  who  ought  to  be  exemplary  to 
society,  in  every  part  of  their  conduct.  But  as 
we  have  now  endeavoured  to  characterize  both 
the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  branches,  we  shall  en- 
deavour, in  the 

VII.  place,  to  show  what  is  our  duty  toward 
the  civil  branch,  when  thus  legally  constituted. 
And, 

1.  We  ought  to  yield  subjection  with  reverence 
and  fear.     Rom.  xiii.  1,  4.     "Let  every  soul  be 
subject  to  the  higher  powers."     For  this,  we  have 
the  command  of  God,  in  the  passage  now  quoted ; 
and  that  too,  under  the  severest  penalties.     In  like 
manner,  Tit.  iii.  1,  the  apostle  commands,  "to  put 
them  in  mind,  to  be  subject  to  principalities  and 
powers,  to  obey  magistrates,"  &c.     To  the  sanie 
purpose,  1st  Pet.  ii.  13,  17.     "Submit  yourselves 
to  every  ordinance  of  man,  for  the  Lord's  sake," 
&c. 

2.  We  ought  to  pay  tribute  conscientiously,  as 
unto  the  legitimate  administrators  of  the  ordinance 
of  God.     Rom.  xiii.  6,  7.     "For  this  cause  pay 
you  tribute  also :  for,  i.  e.  because,  they  are  God's 
ministers,"  &c.     Here,  the  legitimacy  and  right 
administration  of  the  ordinance,  is  the  formal  rea- 
son  assigned,  why  tribute   should  be   rendered; 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  45 

consequently,  where  the  cause  exists  not,  the  ob- 
ligation otherwise  established,  ceases. 

3.  We  ought  to  pray  for  their  welfare,  and  give 
thanks    unto  God   for   them.     1st  Tim.  ii.  1,2. 
The  apostle  exhorts   us   to   make   supplications, 
prayers,  and  thanksgivings,  for  kings,  and  such  as 
are  in  authority.     Here,  certainly,  he  means  such 
as  make  the  law  of  God  their  rule,  and  bend  their 
administrations  to  the   honour  of  Immanuel.     If 
this  is  not  the  case,  the  end  proposed  cannot  be 
attained,  namely,  "  That  we  may  live  quiet  and 
peaceable  lives,  in  all  godliness  and  honesty." 

4.  It  is  our  duty  to  honour  and  esteem  them, 
and  not  revile  or  curse  them.     1st  Pet.  ii,  17. 
"  Honour  the  king."    To  the  same  purpose,  Rom. 
xiii.  7.     "  Render  honour  unto  whom  honour  is 
due."     All  insults  offered  to  magistrates,  in  the 
due  exercise  of  their  office,  God  will  consider  as 
offered  to  himself,  in  the  persons  of  his  representa- 
tives.   This  he  forbids,  under  pain  of  his  heavy  dis- 
pleasure.    Exod.  xxii.  28.     "Thou  shalt  not  re- 
vile the  gods,  nor  speak  evil  of  the  ruler  of  thy 
people." 

5.  To  obey  "not  only  for  wrath,  but  also  for 
conscience  sake."     Rom.  xiii.  5.     Here  are  two 
reasons  or  motives  assigned  to  enforce  obedience. 
1.  For  wrath's  sake.     The  expression,  that  is  not 
only  for  wrath,  intimates,  that  wrath  is  one  reason, 
though  it  is  not  all.     Obedience  for  wrath?s  sake, 
is  a  yielding  subjection,  on  account  of  the  penalty 
that  will  be  inflicted  in  case  of  disobedience.     This 
ought  to  stimulate  to  the  performance  of  the  su- 
perior's commands,  and  is  the  thing  intended  by 
every  penalty,  and  is  the  great  reason  why  laws 
have  penal  sanctions  annexed  to  them,  and  is  con- 
sidered as  a  motive  to  obedience  in  all  laws,  divine 


46  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

as  well  as  human.  This  motive  of  fear  and  pu- 
nishment, is  allowed  to  influence  to  obedience,  in 
all  things  in  themselves  lawful,  as  well  under 
illegitimate,  as  under  legitimate  governments.  The 
2d  reason  is,  for  conscience  sake.  This  implies 
two  things — First,  that  the  thing  commanded, 
should  be  done,  because  it  is  right.  Second,  be- 
cause it  is  commanded  by  legitimate  authority. 
As  to  the  first  thing,  viz.  that  we  should  do  what 
is  commanded,  because  it  is  right  in  itself,  the  ob- 
ligation arises  from  the  moral  law  requiring  it,  and 
may  be  done,  be  the  power  commanding  it  never 
so  illegitimate.  It,  of  course,  implies  no  homolo- 
gation  of  the  existing  authority.  The  second  thing, 
viz.  the  thing  itself,  because  it  is  commanded,  is 
competent  exclusively  to  legitimate  governments, 
and  is  the  only  tessera  of  loyalty. 

6.  We  ought  to  live  quiet  and  peaceable  lives, 
bear  true  and  faithful  allegiance,  and  oppose  all 
riotous  and  seditious  practices.     To  the  opposite 
of  this  conduct,  God  has  annexed    the  severest 
penalties.     Rom.  xiii.  2.     "He  that  resisteth  the 
power,  resisteth  the  ordinance  of  God,  and  shall 
receive  to  himself  damnation." 

Such  persons  God  will  consider  rebels  against 
his  own  royal  authority,  displayed  in  the  rightful 
administration  of  his  lawful  representatives.  He 
stamps  such  with  more  than  ordinary  marks  of 
disapprobation.  In  Jude  1,  he  calls  them  "filthy 
dreamers,  defiling  the  flesh,  despising  dominions, 
and  speaking  evil  of  dignities."  The  heinousness 
of  their  sin,  and  the  vengeance  of  God  upon  it,  is 
awfully  marked  in  the  destruction  of  Korah  and 
his  company,  Numb.  xvi.  to  which  the  aposlle 
Jude  here  alludes. 

7.  We  ought  to  support  their  just  administrations 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  47 

with  our  blood  and  treasure.  If  a  magistrate  may 
lawfully  go  to  war,  in  defence  of  the  just  rights 
and  privileges  of  the  commonwealth,  whatever 
justifies  him  so  to  do,  lays  his  subjects  under  an 
obligation  to  support  him,  in  every  just  and  ne- 
cessary measure,  with  their  estates  and  selves. 
To  repel  force  by  force,  is  an  early  dictate  of  the 
law  of  self-preservation.  To  this  we  are  also  bound 
by  the  social  compact,  in  which  mutual  protection 
is  solemnly  stipulated.  The  danger  of  losing  the 
invaluable  privileges  of  religion  and  liberty,  may 
lawfully  summon  us  to  arms.  In  these  cases,  the 
civil  magistrate  is  the  public  organ  of  the  nation's 
will,  and  is  entitled  to  obedience.  Thus  our  re- 
nowned ancestors,  by  a  solemn  covenant,  bound 
themselves  to  defend,  with  their  estates  and  lives, 
the  king's  majesty,  in  protecting  their  religion  and 
liberty :  See  Solemn  League  and  Covenant.  Such 
are  the  duties  we  hold  ourselves  bound  to  render 
to  the  civil  branch,  when  legally  constituted. 
Have  we  any  right,  then,  to  be  stigmatized  as  anti- 
government  men  ? 

If  anti  should  at  all  be  used,  it  should  immedi- 
ately precede  the  word  immoral,  and  then  it  is 
completely  applicable.  We  always  have  been, 
and  intend  uniformly  to  continue,  anti-immoral- 
government  men. 

Having  thus  shown  some  of  the  duties  which 
we  owe  to  a  government,  when  morally  constituted, 
it  may  be  proper  in  the 

VIII.  place,  to  state  the  reasons  why  we  can- 
not yield  obedience,  for  conscience  sake,  to  the 
present  civil  authority  in  North  America.  And, 

1.  The  federal  constitution,  or  instrument  of 
national  union,  does  not  even  recognise  the  exis- 
tence of  God,  the  King  of  nations.  In  these  civil 


48  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

deeds,  though  the  immediate  end  may  be  the  hap- 
piness of  the  commonwealth,  yet  the  ultimate  end, 
as  well  in  this  as  in  every  other  thing  we  do,  should 
be  the  glory  of  God.  Ought  not  men,  in  the  for- 
mation of  their  deeds,  to  consider  their  responsi- 
bility to  the  moral  Governor,  and  this  obligation  to 
acknowledge  his  authority  ?  Prov.  iii.  5.  "  In 
all  thy  ways  acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  direct 
thy  paths."  That  a  national  deed,  employed  about 
the  fundamental  stipulations  of  magistracy,  as  an 
ordinance  of  God,  and  the  investiture  of  magistrates, 
as  his  ministers,  should  no  where  recognise  the  ex- 
istence of  the  Governor  of  the  universe,  is,  to  say 
nothing  worse  of  it,  truly  lamentable.  May  it  not 
be  said  of  this  nation  as  of  Israel,  Hos.  viii.  4. 
"  They  have  set  up  kings,  but  not  by  me ;  they 
have  made  princes,  and  1  knew  it  not  ?"  Did  not 
the  framers  of  this  instrument  act,  not  only  as  if 
there  had  been  no  divine  revelation  for  the  supreme 
standard  of  their  conduct;  but  also  as  if  there  had 
been  no  God  ?  Did  they  not  in  this  resemble  the 
fool  mentioned,  Ps.  xiv.  1,  who  "  said  in  his  heart 
there  is  no  God?"  Every  official  act  of  the  go- 
vernor of  a  province  must  have  some  specific 
stamp  of  his  dependence  upon  the  authority  which 
appointed  him  ;  and  shall  a  nation  act  as  if  inde- 
pendent of  the  God  of  the  universe,  and  expect  to 
be  guiltless  ? 

2.  Another  objection  we  have  is,  that  most,  if 
not  all,  of  the  state  constitutions,  contain  positive 
immorality.  Witness  their  recognition  of  such 
rights  of  conscience  as  sanction  every  blasphemy, 
which  a  depraved  heart  may  believe  to  be  true. 
Moreover  the  state  constitutions  necessarily  bind 
to  the  support  of  the  federal,  as  the  bond  of  na- 
tional existence ;  and  hence  the  immorality  con- 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  49 

tained  in  that  instrument  becomes  common  to 
them  all. 

The  recognition  of  such  rights  of  conscience,  is 
insulting  to  the  Majesty  of  Heaven,  and  repugnant 
to  the  express  letter  of  God's  word.  Deut.  xvii. 
18.  God  prescribes  to  the  magistrate  the  divine 
law,  as  the  supreme  standard  of  all  his  administra- 
tions ;  and  which  obliges  men,  in  every  station, 
to  conduct  themselves  accordingly.  Deut.  xii.  32. 
"  What  thing  soever  I  command  you,  observe  to 
do  it :  thou  shalt  not  add  to  it,  nor  diminish  from 
it."  But,  in  the  framing  of  these  constitutions, 
the  revealed  law  of  God  is  not  attended  to  ;  though 
even  the  law  of  nature  requires  the  adoption  of 
every  new  communication  which  God,  in  mercy, 
may  be  pleased  to  reveal. 

The  rejection  of  the  divine  law,  as  revealed  in 
the  Scriptures  of  truth,  we  consider  as  a  contempt 
of  the  beneficence  of  Heaven,  and  an  obstinate 
drawing  back  to  heathenism. 

3.  The  government  gives  a  legal  security  and 
establishment  to  gross  heresy,  blasphemy  and 
idolatry,  under  the  notion  of  liberty  of  conscience. 

It  would  be  too  tedious  to  examine  each  of  the 
state  constitutions  on  this  head.  One  may  suf- 
fice. 

We  shall  select  that  of  the  state  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. See  the  preamble,  together  with  the  third 
and  twenty-sixth  sections  of  the  ninth  article. 
Here,  the  constitution  recognises  and  unalterably 
establishes  the  indefeasible  right  of  worshipping 
Almighty  God,  whatever  way  a  man's  conscience 
may  dictate ;  and  declares  that  this  shall,  for  ever,  re- 
main inviolable.  We  believe  that  no  man  has  a 
right  to  worship  God  in  any  other  way  than  he 
himself  hath  prescribed  in  his  law.  *  We  also 
5 

<•  \    v 


50  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

think  it  criminal  for  a  man's  conscience  to  approve 
any  way  repugnant  to  this  sacred  rule ;  arid  that 
this  crime  cannot  legitimate  another,  or  make  an 
action  right,  which  God  expressly  condemns, 
under  pain  of  eternal  wrath. 

If  conscience  can  legitimate  what  God's  law 
condemns,  it  must  be  paramount  to  the  divine  law, 
and,  consequently,  to  the  Legislator  also,  in  having 
a  negative  over  the  requisitions  of  both  the  one 
and  the  other. 

Were  this  the  case,  it  would  not  only  free  from 
criminality,  but  would  render  virtuous,  laudable 
and  praiseworthy,  the  most  damnable  errors — the 
most  horrid  blasphemies  and  detestable  abomina- 
tions, if  but  dictated  by  the  consciences  of  Pagans, 
Mahometans,  &c.  Then,  the  Egyptians  worship- 
ping God  under  the  form  of  a  snake  or  crocodile 
as  lawful,  yea,  as  commendable, as  doing  it  would  be 
precisely  according  to  the  manner  which  he  has  pre- 
scribed in  his  word,  provided,  that,  in  both  cases, 
conscience  said  amen ! 

But  supposing  for  a  moment  that  men  had  such 
a  right,  let  us  inquire  how  they  came  by  it? 
Either  they  must  have  it  by  derivation  from  God, 
or  hold  it  independently  of  him. 

It  cannot  be  by  derivation  from  God.  It  would 
be  absurd  in  the  nature  of  it,  and  incompatible 
with  the  essential  holiness  of  his  character. 

To  suppose  God  giving  his  moral  subjects  a  law, 
to  the  breach  of  which  he  annexes  eternal  punish- 
ment, and  at  the  same  time  giving  them  a  right  to 
break  it,  is  inconsistent,  and  impossible.  Right 
would  be  opposed  to  right.  A  right  to  obey,  and 
a  right  not  to  obey ! 

Absurd  as  this  may  appear,  we  find  the  doc- 
trine advocated  both  from  pulpit  and  press. 


y 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  51 

Scarcely  any  where,  however,  is  it  more  bare- 
facedly maintained  than  in  the  following  declara- 
tion: "To  worship  God  after  that  way  and  man- 
ner they  judge  most  agreeable  to  his  will,  is  a  right 
common  to  all  men.  They  may,  and  often  do, 
err,  and  offend  the  Most  High,  by  substituting  a 
false  religion  in  place  of  that  which  he  requires: 
but  no  power  on  earth  can  take  their  right  from 
them."* 

Here  there  is  a  certain  right  established.  To 
do  what?  To  worship  God  whatever  way  a  man 
may  think  most  proper.  But  he  may,  and  often 
does,  think  a  false  way  most  proper.  Well,  he 
has  a  right  to  worship  the  false  way  !  But  wor- 
shipping the  false  way  offends  God.  No  matter, 
he  has  a  right  to  offend  God  ;  for,  if  worshipping 
falsely,  and  offending  God,  are  equivalent,  seeing 
he  has  a  right  to  do  the  one,  he  has  a  right  to  do 
the  other !!!  "  Tell  it  not  in  Gath,  publish  it  not 
in  the  streets  of  Askelon :  lest  the  daughters  of 
the  Philistines  rejoice,  lest  the  daughters  of  the 
uncircumcised  triumph."  2d  Sam.  i.  20. 

To  maintain  that  men  have  a  right  to  break 
the  divine  law,  is  too  glaring.  Does  it  not  look 
very  like  blasphemy,  to  allow  that  God  has  given 
them  such  a  right  ?  If  they  have  it,  therefore,  it 
must  be  independently  of  him.  It  would  be  pretty 
nice,  to  draw  the  discriminating  line  between  this 
and  atheism. 

This  pretended  right,  however,  is  guarantied 
to  all  by  the  constitution  of  this  state. 

Every  thing,  suggested  by  conscience,  which 
may  not  interfere  with  temporal  safety,  is  un- 

*  See  the  Declaration  and  Testimony  of  the  Associate 
Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania,  Part  13  Sect.  17. 


52  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

alterably  established  by  the  permanent  law  of  the 
land.  Should  it  dictate  obstinately  to  profess  the 
most  damnable  heresy,  and  zealously  practise  and 
propagate  every  absurd  and  abominable  form  of 
idolatry,  which  a  heart  given  up  to  strong  delu- 
sions, vile  affections,  and  a  reprobate  sense,  could 
make  one  think  innocent,  the  good  people  of  this 
state  have  recognised  his  right  to  do  so :  and  so- 
lemnly pledged  themselves,  in  their  constitutional 
instrument,  to  give  him  security  and  protection ; 
the  solemn  prohibition  of  Almighty  God  notwith- 
standing ! 

Does  not  this  amount  to  an  establishment  of 
religion  ? 

That  civil  rulers  should  exercise  their  power, 
in  protecting  and  defending  the  religion  of  Jesus, 
we  do,  and  always  did,  maintain. 

The  dispute,  then,  will  not  turn  upon  the  point, 
whether  religion  should  be  civilly  established  ? 
(we  take  it  for  granted  that  Americans  think  so, 
seeing  they  have  done  it,)  but  it  is,  concerning 
what  religion  ought  to  be  civilly  established  and 
protected.  Whether  the  religion  of  Jesus  alone, 
should  be  countenanced  by  civil  authority  ?  or 
every  blasphemous,  heretical,  and  idolatrous  abo- 
mination, which  the  subtle  malignity  of  the, old 
serpent,  and  a  heart  deceitful  above  all  things, 
and  desperately  wicked,  can  frame  and  devise, 
should  be  put  on  an  equal  footing  therewith  ? 
The  former  we  contend  for,  the  latter  we  reject. 
The  latter,  however,  is  the  plain  doctrine  of  the 
constitution. 

That  it  may  appear  that  this  is  no  invidious 
comment  on  the  articles  of  that  instrument,  let  us, 
for  a  moment,  attend  to  its  application  to  prac- 
tice, by  the  legislature.  Their  views  of  it  will  be 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  53 

considered  as  impartial.  In  the  discharge  of  their 
legislative  duty,  did  they  not  incorporate  a  Roman 
Catholic  society  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and 
grant  them  special  privileges,  such  as  raising 
money  by  lottery,  &c.,  for  erecting  a  chapel? 
Who  ever  heard  any  of  the  approvers  of  the  con- 
stitution complain  that  said  law  of  incorporation 
was  unconstitutional  ?  Indeed,  no  man  of  com- 
mon sense  could  allow  that  it  was. 

If  this  be  an  evil,  the  constitution  should  be 
purged  from  such  principles  as  sanction  it;  unless 
it  be  contended  that  the  people  of  these  states 
have  among  them  rights,  ONE  of  which  authorizes 
them  to  give  their  power  to  the  beast,  and  prop 
up  the  tottering  fabric  of  that  man  of  sin,  whom 
God  has  threatened  to  "destroy  with  the  breath 
of  his  mouth,  and  the  brightness  of  his  coming." 

We  cannot,  in  conscience,  however  ill  others 
may  look  upon  it,  swear  allegiance  to  a  constitu- 
tion so  friendly  to  the  enemies  of  Jesus.  We  are 
bound  in  him,  and  cannot  serve  two  masters.  Is 
this  putting  of  all  religious  sects  upon  an  equal 
footing,  consistent  with  the  declaration  concerning 
New  Testament  times,  Isaiah  xlix.  23  :  "Kings 
shall  be  thy  nursing  fathers  ?"  Would  he  not  be 
a  hard-hearted  father,  who  would  put  his  child 
upon  the  same  footing  with  the  wolves,  tigers,  and 
other  voracious  beasts  of  prey?  The  political 
father,  who  leaves  the  child  Truth  in  the  jaws  of 
enemies,  still  more  deadly,  cannot  be  allowed  to 
possess  much  more  tender  feelings.  Will  the  church 
of  Christ  enjoy  no  other  privilege  than  this,  by 
"sucking  the  breast  of  kings?"  Isaiah  Ix.  16. 
"When  her  officers  shall  be  peace,  and  her  exac- 
tors righteousness.95  Verse  17. 

4.  We  farther  object  to  the  civil  government 
5* 


54  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

of  this  country,  because  its  officers  are  sworn,  by 
necessary  implication,  to  support  what  God  Al- 
mighty forbids,  as  appears  from  the  oath  of  office. 
"Members  of  the  general  assembly,  and  all  other 
officers,  executive  and  judicial,  shall  be  bound  by 
oath  or  affirmation,  to  support  the  constitution  of 
this  commonwealth."* 

If,  therefore,  the  constitution  of  Pennsylvania, 
as  has  been  already  demonstrated,  supports,  and 
legally  establishes,  gross  heresy,  blasphemy  and 
idolatry,  it  necessarily  follows,  that  those  who 
swear  to  support  it,  are  bound  by  solemn  oath  to 
support  the  above  principles  and  practices;  which 
is  nothing  more  than  a  practical  application  of 
said  instrument,  in  their  respective  administra- 
tions. 

Is  not  this  a  glaring  contradiction  of  the  moral 
law,  not  only  in  its  general  precepts,  such  as  first, 
second,  and  third  commandments,  &c.,  but  also 
to  the  particular  illustration  of  these  precepts? 
See  Deut.  vii.  5,  when  speaking  of  idolaters, 
"Thus  shall  ye  deal  with  them ;  ye  shall  destroy 
their  altars,  and  break  down  their  images,  and  cut 
down  their  groves,  and  burn  their  graven  images 
with  fire." 

But  this  obligation,  to  support  gross  heresy,  <fec., 
is  not  confined  to  officers  under  the  constitution. 
It  extends  to  all  who  swear  allegiance  to  it,  and 
thus  incorporate  with  the  national  society  upon 
the  footing  of  this  bond  of  union. 

To  what  purpose  is  a  constitution,  if  it  does  not 
contain  a  solemn  stipulation  between  each  and 
every  individual,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  society, 

*  See  the  oath  of  office,  Constitution  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  Art.  8. 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  55 

for  the  mutual  guarantee  of  the  privileges  therein 
specified  ?  We  cannot,  therefore,  swear  alle- 
giance, because  we  dare  not  be  bound,  upon  pain 
of  perjury,  if  need  be,  to  spend  our  blood  and  trea- 
sure in  supporting  the  man  of  sin,  or  any  of  his 
allies.  And  I  have  never  been  able  to  satisfy 
myself,  how  it  was  consistent,  in  those  who  pro- 
fess Presbyterianism,  to  swear  an  oath,  which 
involve  the  supporting  of  idolatry,  &c.,  while,  at 
the  same  time,  in  their  creeds,  and  church  con- 
stitutions, they  solemnly  recognise  their  obliga- 
tion, in  their  respective  stations,  to  remove  every 
monument  and  vestige  of  it  from  the  land.* 

5.  They  make  no  provision  for  the  interest  of 
true  religion.  See  Federal  Constitution,  Art.  3. 
Amendment.  And,  though  there  is  some  appear- 
ance to  the  Christian  religion,  in  some  of  the  state 
constitutions,  such  as  Massachusetts,  Part  1,  Art. 
3,  yet  that  article  respecting  the  rights  of  con- 
science, which  lays  the  foundation,  and  terminates 
in  the  establishment,  of  every  thing  called  reli- 
gion, which  may  not  interfere  with  temporal  safety, 
is  "  a  dead  fly  "  to  this  precious  ointment. 

This  indifference  about  the  religion  of  Jesus, 
is  contrary  to  the  law  of  nature ;  which  requires 
rulers  "chiefly  to  care  for  the  honour  of  God,  the 
Governor  of  nations,  and  to  adopt  and  enforce  his 
laws,  as  the  best  means  for  promoting  the  su- 
preme end — which  requires  that  men  should  be 
governed,  as  having  immortal  souls,  and  not  as 
mere  brute  animals,  about  whose  bodies  only  we 
are  concerned ;"  contrary  to  the  word  of  God, 
which  teacheth,  "that  righteousness  exalteth  a 

*  See  Larger  Catechism^  Question  108,  as  ratified  in 
their  church  constitutions. 


56  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

nation,  whereas  sin,  (even  blasphemy  and  idola- 
try, as  well  as  other  sins,)  is  the  reproach  of  any 
people."  Prov.  xiv.  34. 

This  indifference  about  the  religion  of  Jesus,  is 
in  opposition  to  the  promised  blessings  in  the  word 
of  God,  The  exercise  of  the  magistrate's  power, 
in  favour  of  the  true  religion,  is  promised  as  a 
blessing  in  New  Testament  times.  Isai.  xlix.  23. 
u  Kings  shall  be  thy  nursing  fathers,"  &c. 

Let  the  law  of  God  be  established  as  a  rule, 
and  that  will,  of  course,  establish  truth. 

The  allegation  usually  brought  forward  against 
this  position,  viz.,  "that  the  law  of  God  is  so 
equivocal,  that  it  cannot  be  understood,  and  so 
ought  not  to  be  made  the  basis  of  legislation,"  is 
invalid. 

If  it  be  admitted,  the  divine  law  is  no  longer  a 
rule  of  faith  and  manners ;  and  God  only  imposed 
upon  his  rational  subjects,  in  giving  them  a  law 
that  was  unintelligible,  and  at  the  same  time  an- 
nexing the  most  tremendous  penalties  to  the  vio- 
lation of  it.  We  are  usually  taught  to  have  other 
views  of  the  God  of  mercy  and  truth. 

But  can  there  be  any  thing  plainer,  or  clearer, 
than  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue,  in  which  we 
have  a  summary  of  the  moral  law,  a  bright  trans- 
script  of  the  perfections  of  Jehovah  ?  What  is  all 
the  preceptive  part  of  the  Bible,  but  an  elucida- 
tion, or  comment,  upon  the  precepts  respectively? 
What  are  all  the  promises  and  threatenings,  but 
the  sanctions  of  that  law,  applied  to  the  respective 
cases  by  God,  in  order  to  enforce  duty,  and  deter 
from  disobedience  ? 

Would  it  be  considered  as  warrantable,  in  a 
court  of  justice,  to  acquit  a  criminal  arraigned  at 
the  bar,  because  he  pleads  "  the  law,  with  respect 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL,  57 

to  the  breach  of  which  I  am  charged,  was  unin- 
telligible, [[or]  I  had  as  good  a  right  to  explain  it 
as  another.  The  true  meaning  of  it,  I  think  I 
have  fulfilled.  I  demand  my  liberty."  Must 
this  law,  ever  after,  cease  to  be  a  rule  ?  If  this 
is  admitted,  there  is  an  end  to  all  government ; 
and  men  will,  as  in  those  days  when  there  was 
no  king  in  Israel,  "do,  every  man,  that  which  is 
right  in  his  own  eyes." 

But,  in  opposition  to  this,  see  the  conduct  of  the 
pious  kings  of  Judah,  2d  Chron.  xxxi.  and  xxxiv. 
chapters. 

6.  Another  reason  why  we  cannot  incorporate 
with  the  national  society  is,  because  we  consider 
them  in  a  state  of  national  rebellion  against  God. 
Jer.  x.  7.  God  announces  himself  King  of  na- 
tions, unto  whom  fear  and  homage  appertain:  his 
will,  of  course,  should  be  the  supreme  law. 

This  will  of  his,  as  revealed  in  the  book  of  na- 
ture, and  imprinted  upon  the  heart  of  man,  in  his 
first  creation,  was,  in  a  great  measure,  obliterated 
by  the  fall.  God,  in  mercy,  has  been  pleased  to 
send  us  a  written  transcript  of  his  will,  with  va- 
luable enlargements,  superior  to  any  thing  which 
could  have  ever  been  discovered  by  the  mere 
light  of  nature. 

If  we  refuse  to  receive  it,  and  obstinately  pre- 
fer the  obscure  shattered  fragments,  revealed  by 
nature's  light,  to  the  rejection  of  divine  revelation, 
do  we  not  pour  contempt  upon  the  Legislator,  and 
hoist  the  signal  of  rebellion?  Has  this  nation,  in 
its  national  capacity,  adopted  this  law,  or  has  it 
not? 

This  point  will  be  ascertained  by  an  examina- 
tion of  their  national  deeds.  If  they  have  not, 
what  is  their  character  ?  How  does  the  govern- 


58  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

ment  of  any  country  view  a  province  or  county, 
which  refuses  to  receive  the  laws  which  they  have 
constitutionally  enacted? 

They  consider  them  in  a  state  of  rebellion  ;  and 
send  their  armies  to  suppress  them  as  rebels. 
Shall  provinces  be  accounted  rebels  for  refusing 
to  receive  the  laws  of  earthly  rulers ;  and  shall 
nations  refuse  to  recognise  the  laws  of  the  Moral 
Governor  of  the  universe,  and  be  accounted  inno- 
cent] 

But  this  is  not  all.  The  nation  has  not  only 
rebelled  against  God,  in  refusing  to  recognise  the 
divine  law,  but  has  also  been  aiding  and  assisting 
his  enemies,  by  supporting  those  that  are  at  war 
with  the  Almighty.  Witness  the  protection  of 
idolatry,  and  all  manner  of  anti-christian  delusion. 
For  this,  God  is  very  jealous:  "He  will  not  give 
his  glory  to  another,  nor  his  praise  to  graven 
images." 

Would  to  God,  that,  while  "the  kings  of  the 
earth  are  combined  to  plot  against  the  Lord,  and 
his  Anointed,"  these  lands,  highly  favoured  by  be- 
nevolent Providence,  would  neither  touch,  taste, 
nor  handle  the  unclean  thing.  O  that  they  could 
sa)*,  like  the  two  tribes  and  a  half,  on  the  eastern 
side  of  Jordan,  Jos.  xxii.  29:  "God  forbid  that 
we  should  rebel  against  the  Lord,  and  turn' this 
day  from  following  the  Lord,  to  build  an  altar  for 
burnt-offerings,  for  meat-offerings,  or  for  sacrifices, 
besides  the  altar  of  the  Lord  our  God,  that  is  be- 
fore the  tabernacle." 

7.  Deists,  and  even  atheists,  may  be  chief  ma- 
gistrates.— See  the  Federal  Constitution. 

In  this  instrument,  the  belief  in  the  existence  of 
God,  is  not  made  a  necessary  qualification  for 
holding  office !  Neither  is  it  essentially  involved, 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

in  the  obligation  taken  previously  to  entering  upon 
office.  See  the  last  paragraph  of  the  first  section 
of  the  second  article  of  the  Federal  Constitution : 
here  a  simple  affirmation,  without  even  naming 
the  name  of  God,  is  considered  sufficient! 

The  allegation,  "that  an  oath  involves  an  appeal 
to  God,'7  is  no  real  objection  to  what  is  here  as- 
serted. We  admit  it  does.  But  will  it  therefore 
follow,  that  a  simple  affirmation  is  an  appeal  to 
God  ?  The  Scripture  knows  no  such  doctrine. 
If  it  did,  the  institution  of  an  oath  would  have 
been  useless,  as  containing  nothing  specifically  dif- 
ferent from  simple  assertion. 

Then  we  would  be  constantly  swearing,  or 
doing  what  would  be  equivalent,  in  our  common 
conversation. 

But,  in  a  word,  the  people,  in  whose  favour  it 
is  generally  supposed  the  liberty  of  affirmation  is 
granted,  deny  the  propriety  of  all  such  appeals  to 
God.  If  it  be  objected,  "that  quakers  only  are 
intended,  and  that  all  such  acknowledge  the  being 
of  God,"  it  may  be  answered,  that  they  are  not 
specified — others  are  not  excluded — atheists  might 
plead  the  privilege,  and  if  they  were  specified  ex- 
clusively, still  there  is  nothing  in  the  instrument 
itself,  that  makes  a  profession  of  the  belief  of  a 
Supreme  Being  essential.  A  simple  affirmation 
does  not  necessarily  imply  the  profession  of  a  be- 
lief in  a  Supreme  Being  as  an  oath  does.  Nor  is 
it  inconsistent  with  the  principles  of  an  atheist  to 
affirm  or  assert. 

A  belief,  therefore,  in  the  existence  of  a  Deity, 
is  not,  by  the  Federal  Constitution,  either  directly 
or  by  implication,  made  a  necessary  qualification 
of  the  first  magistrate. 

Where  is  the  homage  which,  it  might  be  ex- 


60  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

pected,  a  people  professing  Christianity  would  pay 
to  the  Messiah  ?  Where  is  the  respect  that  even 
a  deistical  society  might  be  supposed  to  render  to 
the  King  of  nations? 

Nay,  at  not  a  very  distant  period,  even  so  late 
as  the  year  17(J7,  the  good  people  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  concentrated  by  representation 
in  the  senatorial  council  and  chief  magistrate,  dis- 
claimed the  religion  of  Jesus,  and  cast  away  the 
cords  of  the  Lord's  Anointed,  in  the  ratification  of 
the  treaty  of  peace  and  friendship  with  the  Bey  of 
Tripoli. 

The  American  plenipotentiary  availed  himself 
of  it,  as  an  important  circumstance  in  the  article 
of  negotiation,  that  the  American  government  was 
not  predicated  upon  the  Christian  religion;  and, 
consequently  a  government  that  the  Bey  might 
safely  treat  with.  Take  it  in  the  words  of  the 
treaty  itself.  "  The  government  of  the  United 
States  of  America  is  not,  in  any  sense,  founded  on 
the  Christian  religion.  It  has,  in  itself,  no  cha- 
racter of  enmity  against  the  laws  or  religion  of 
a  Musselman."*1  And,  what  is  farther  worthy  of 
notice,  by  the  sixth  article  of  the  Federal  Consti- 
tution this  treaty  is  made  the  supreme  law  of  the 
land! 

Must  it  not  be  dishonouring  to  Christ,  and  cal- 
culated to  procure  the  infliction  of  his  iron  rod, 
thus,  nationally,  in  so  many  words,  to  disclaim 
his  holy  religion,  to  count  kindred,  or  at  least  deny 
enmity  against  Mahomet,  the  vile  impostor? 

8.  The  major  part  of  the  states  recognise  the 

*  See  this  quotation  of  Art.  xi.  of  the  treaty  of  Peace 
and  Friendship  between  the  United  States  of  America 
and  the  Bey  and  subjects  of  Tripoli  of  Barbary,  as  filed 
in  the  Laws  of  the  United  States,  Vol.  4th. 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  61 

principle  of  slavery.  Some,  partially,  and  others 
without  taking  any  steps,  as  yet,  toward  its  aboli- 
tion. 

Strange  it  is,  indeed,  that  in  a  land  of  such 
boasted  liberty,  such  horrid  inhumanity  should  be 
tolerated  !  It  is  contrary  to  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, and  most  of  the  state  constitutions, 
which  justly  declare,  "that  all  men  are  created 
free  and  equal,  and  that  Liberty  is  one  of  the  in- 
valuable rights  with  which  their  Creator  has  en- 
dowed them."  Is  it  not  strangely  inconsistent, 
that  the  constitution,  the  paramount  law  of  the 
land,  should  declare  all  men  to  be  free,  and  the 
laws  pretended  to  be  constitutional,  doom  a  certain 
portion  of  them  to  hopeless  bondage,  and  subject 
them  to  the  wanton  barbarity  of  savage  and  inhu- 
man masters,  who,  in  many  instances,  treat  their 
brutes  with  more  tenderness? 

Time  would  not  allow  to  enter,  at  large,  into  a 
refutation  of  it.  Indeed  it  is  too  shocking  to  find 
advocates  among  any  but  those  whose  conscience 
is  seared  as  with  a  hot  iron.  Suffice  it  to  say,  at 
present,  that  there  is  one  precept  given  by  the  Sa- 
viour, declared  to  be  a  summary  of  the  law  and 
the  prophets,  viz.;  "  Whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them ; 
for  this  is  the  law  and  the  prophets."  Matt,  vii. 
12.  To  which  the  practice  of  slaveholding  is 
flatly  repugnant. 

But,  supposing  the  Scripture  silent  on  the  sub- 
ject, it  is  even  impolitic  and  dangerous.  What 
interest  has  the  man,  whom  I  unjustly  detain,  to 
work  for  rne,  seeing  he  receives  scarcely  any  other 
compensation  for  his  labour,  than  a  hungry  belly 
and  hard  blows?  By  what  tie  is  he  bound  to 
spare  my  life,  seeing  I  rob  -him  of  that  which  is 
6 


t)Z  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

dearer  than  life  itself,  and  without  which  life  is 
miserable  ?  Must  not  the  philosopher  execrate 
this  nefarious  traffic  ?  Must  not  the  philanthro- 
pist shed  a  tear  on  the  bleeding  wounds  of  out- 
raged humanity? 

Of  this  barbarous  traffic,  the  judicatories  of  our 
church  have  given  their  pointed  disapprobation, 
and  all  approving  of,  or  engaging  in  it,  are  ex- 
cluded her  communion. 

9.  A  last  reason  why  we  reject  these  constitutions 
is,  that  we  are  bound  by  the  moral  law,  as  sub- 
jects of  the  God  of  heaven,  to  obey  his  will;  and 
whatever  is  contrary  thereunto,  we  are  obliged  to 
reject.  And  to  all  who  censure  our  conduct  in  so 
doing,  we  reply,  "Whether  we  should  obey  God 
or  man,  judge  ye." 

This  obligation  necessarily  flows  from  our  re- 
lation to  God,  as  the  Moral  Governor.  See  Exod. 
xx.  1,  17,  where  we  have  an  epitome  of  his  laws, 
and  by  this  we  hold  ourselves  indispensably 
bound. 

And,  moreover,  in  the  exercise  of  that  delegated 
power,  which  we  hold  from  God,  we  have  so- 
lemnly recognised  this  moral  obligation,  by  our 
own  act  and  deed.  In  the  preface  to  the  ten  com- 
mandments, as  delivered  on  Sinai,  God  binds 
himself  to  be  our  God:  "I  am  the  Lord  your 
God."  We  are  called  upon  by  the  laudable  ex- 
ample of  the  saints,  by  our  personal  relation  to 
God,  and  by  his  own  express  command,  to  lay 
hold  upon  his  covenant,  avouch  him  as  our  own 
God  in  Christ  Jesus.  We  have  endeavoured  to 
do  so.  We  have  covenanted  in  our  ancestors — 
in  our  baptismal  engagements — and  by  our  own 
personal  act — in  solemnly  recognising  *J1  these 
obligations,  in  commemorating  the  death  of  our 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  63 

crucified  Redeemer.  We  have  thus  sworn  alle- 
giance to  the  King  of  heaven,  and  must  reject 
every  thing  inconsistent  therewith.  Dare  we  pre- 
tend to  be  bound  by  those  covenants,  which  oblige 
us  to  use  every  lawful  endeavour  to  extirpate 
heresy,  idolatry,  and  every  thing  contrary  to 
sound  doctrine,  and  the  power  of  godliness ;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  swear  another  oath,  which  ne- 
cessarily involves  in  it  their  support  and  protec- 
tion ?  On  this,  let  us  resolve,  with  the  good  old 
Joshua,  "Let  others  do  what  they  will,  as  for  us 
and  our  houses,  we  will  serve  the  Lord." 

But,  as  we  have  stated  our  objections  to  the 
civil  constitutions  of  these  states,  candour  requires 
us  to  declare,  at  the  same  time,  that  we  consider 
the  American  government,  with  all  its  evils,  the 
best  now  existing  in  the  Christian  world ;  and,  if 
we  know  the  sentiments  of  our  own  souls  upon 
this  subject,  desire  nothing  more  than  its  refor- 
mation, happiness  and  prosperity ;  though  we  feel 
bound  by  our  duty  to  God,  to  testify  against  all 
its  immoralities.  It  will  be  proper,  however, 
seeing  we  consider  it  as  immoral,  and,  in  the  pro- 
vidence of  God,  are  living  under  it,  to  inquire,  in 
the 

IX.  place,  what  should  be  our  conduct  toward 
it?  And, 

I.  It  is  our  duty  to  mourn  before  God  over  all 
the  prevailing  abominations.  This  is  one  of  the 
characters  of  those  who  are  marked  with  the 
broad  seal  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Ezek,  ix.  4.  And 
the  Lord  said,  "  Go  through  the  midst  of  the  city, 
through  the  midst  of  Jerusalem,  and  set  a  mark 
upon  the  foreheads  of  the  men  that  sigh  and  cry 
for  all  the  abominations  that  are  done  in  the  midst 
thereof.'1 


64  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

We  ought,  also,  to  confess  and  mourn  over  our 
own  sins,  which,  no  doubt,  contribute  their  share 
to  the  procuring  and  continuance  of  those  evils. 

2.  We  ought  to  pray  for  their  reformation  with 
earnestness  at  a  throne  of  grace.     1st  Tim.  ii.  1, 
we  are  commanded  to  make  prayer  and  supplica- 
tions for  all  men ;  and,  Jer.  xxix.  7,  the  captives 
in  Babylon  are  commanded  to  "  pray  for  the  peace 
of  the  city,  and  cry  to  the  Lord  for  it,  that  in  its 
peace   they  might   have   peace."     This   prayer, 
however,  ought  not  to  recognise  them  in  their  of- 
ficial capacity;  for  this  would  be  saying,  Amen, 
to  the  immorality  of  the  constitution  on  which  they 
stand.     2d  John,  10th  and  llth  verses,  we  are 
commanded,  "  not  to  receive  impostors  into  our 
houses,  or  bid  them  God  speed,  for  he  that  bid- 
deth   them  God  speed,  is  partaker  of  their  evil 
deeds."     This  fmust  respect  them  as  deceivers, 
and  not  as  men,  for  we  are  commanded  to  "  pray 
for  all  men."     2d  Tim.  ii.  1. 

3.  We  ought  to  use  every  lawful  endeavour  to 
promote  reformation,  such  as  rational  arguments, 
and  decent  remonstrances :  thus,  1st  Kings  xii.  3, 
4 :  "Jeroboam  and  all  the  congregation,  came  to 
Rehoboam,  saying,  Thy  father  made  our  yoke 
grievous,  now,  therefore,  make  the  grievous   ser- 
vice of  thy  father,  and  the  heavy  yoke  which  he 
put  upon  us,  lighter,  and  we  will  serve   thee." 
To  reason,  remonstrate,  and  expostulate  with  the 
generation,  on  this  subject,  as  well  as  on  others  of 
truth  or  duty,  we  are  bound,  by  the  love  we  ought 
to  exercise  toward  our  fellow-brethren  of  men, 
in  not  suffering  sin  to  lie  upon  them,  without  in- 
forming them  of  it — by  the  obligation  we  are  under 
to  promote  the  interest  of  religion,  and  the  advance- 
ment of  Immanuers  kingdom,  and  by  the  express 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  65 

command  of  God.  Isai.  Iviii.  1:  "Cry  aloud, 
spare  not;  lift  up  thy  voice  like  a  trumpet,  and 
show  my  people  their  transgression,  and  the  house 
of  Israel  their  sins."  See,  also,  Ezek.  xxxiiL 
1,  9,  where  we  are  told  that,  if  the  watchman 
neglect  to  warn  the  people  of  the  enemy's  ap- 
proach, if  they  die  in  their  sins,  their  blood  shall 
be  required  at  his  hand;  but,  if  he  be  faithful,  and 
give  warning,  whether  they  hear  or  forbear,  he 
shall  deliver  his  own  soul. 

4.  We  ought  to  do  no  act  which  may  justly  be 
considered  an  homologation  of  their  illegitimate 
authority. 

Those  who,  directly  or  indirectly,  consent  to 
the  evil  deeds  of  others,  are  partakers  in  their 
criminality.  Ps.  i.  18:  "When  thou  sawest  a 
thief,  then  thou  consentedst  with  him :"  which  God 
severely  reprehends.  If,  therefore,  the  constitu- 
tion be  essentially  at  war  with  the  religion  of 
Jesus,  an  homologation  of  it  is  striking  hands 
with  his  enemies.  No  oath  of  allegiance,  there- 
fore, can  we  swear;  because  we  believe  the  con- 
stitution to  be  contrary  to  the  moral  law,  and  our 
covenant  engagements.  Farther, 

We  cannot  elect  public  functionaries  to  fill  the 
various  offices  in  the  state;  for  between  the  elec- 
tor and  the  elected  there  is  a  representative  one- 
ness ;  so  that  every  official  act,  done  constitution- 
ally by  the  latter,  is  virtually  done  by  the  former 
through  his  representative  organ.  He  must,  also, 
be  introduced  to  office  by  an  oath  homologating 
the  constitution.  Whatever,  therefore,  we  cannot 
do  ourselves  on  account  of  its  immorality,  we 
ought  not  to  employ  others  to  perform. 

Neither  may  we  accept  of  any  office  to  which 
an  oath  is  annexed,  obliging  either,  first,  to  sup- 


66  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

port  an  immoral  constitution,  or,  secondly,  to 
apply,  or  judge,  under  the  direction  of  an  immoral 
law.  First,  to  support  an  immoral  constitution. 
Such  are  all  offices  considered  by  the  constitution 
as  belonging  either  to  the  executive  or  judicial  de- 
partments in  this  state.  An  oath,  to  this  amount, 
is  expressly  required  of  all  officers,  executive 
and  judicial.*  Secondly,  to  apply,  or  judge, 
under  the  direction  of  an  immoral  law.  Of  this 
sort  we  consider  serving  on  juries.  The  juror 
must  come  under  an  obligation  to  determine  the 
law  and  facts.! 

This  must,  certainly,  be  a  determining  what  is 
the  true  spirit  and  meaning  of  the  law,  and  its  ap- 
plication to  the  particular  fact  under  consideration. 
Did  it  mean  a  determining  whether  the  law  be 
moral  or  immoral,  and  so,  such  as  ought,  or  ought 
not,  to  be  carried  into  operation,  juries  would  pos- 
sess a  negative  over  the  legislature,  and  render 
their  decisions  unobligatory  and  useless?  They 
are,  therefore,  bound  to  apply  the  existing  law,  in 
its  true  spirit  and  meaning,  to  the  case  immedi- 
ately under  deliberation.^ 

If  the  civil  code  contain  laws  in  themselves  im- 
moral, we  ought  not  to  come  under  any  obligation 
to  determine  cases  by  them,  or  judge  under  their 
direction. 

*  See  the  Constitution  of  Pennsylvania,  Art.  8th. 

t  See  the  Constitution  of  Pennsylvania,  Art.  9th,  Sect. 
7th. 

J  It  will  be  no  real  objection  to  the  above,  that  in  some 
courts,  the  oath  is  administered  to  the  jurors,  "to  deter- 
mine according  to  the  evidence,"  without  mentioning 
the  law.  The  law  is  still  implied,  otherwise,  the  jury 
are  above  the  law,  and  there  is  an  end  to  all  legislation. 
It  is  to  be  feared  jurors  often  impose  on  themselves  in 
this  particular. 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  67 

Though  we  believe  most  of  the  laws  in  the 
civil  code  to  be  just  and  equitable,  yet  there  are 
some  exceptions. 

Such  are  all  laws  agreeable  to,  and  predicated 
upon,  the  immoral  part  of  the  constitution,  e.  g.9 
laws  incorporating  Roman  Catholic  societies,  &c. 
Such,  also,  are  some  laws  which  are  unconstitu- 
tional, e.  g.,  laws  recognising  the  right  of  holding 
slaves  for  life,  and  indemnifying  masters  where 
slaves  are  capitally  punished.* 

Supposing  a  case,  in  which  any  of  these  im- 
moral laws  are  concerned,  comes  before  a  jury; 
for  example,  a  suit,  in  which  a  master  pleads  his 
right  of  holding  one  of  his  fellow-brethren  a  slave 
for  life,  and  his  brother  pleads  his  right  of  being 
free,  what  is  the  juror  bound  by  his  oath  to  do  in 
this  particular  case  ?  The  poor  man  was  unfor- 
tunately, (but  through  no  fault  of  his,)  born  before 
the  1st  of  March,  1780,  and  was  registered,  in  due 
form  of  law,  before  the  1st  of  November,  same 
year,  and  is,  therefore,  legally,  a  slave.  The 
moral  law  says  he  is  free.  Agreeably  to  which 
of  these  laws,  thus  opposite  to  each  other,  does 
the  juror's  oath  bind  him  to  find  a  verdict?  If 
agreeably  to  the  moral  law,  the  law  of  the  state  is 
set  aside,  and  the  legislature  is  controlled  by  the 
jury.f  But  if  his  verdict  be  agreeable  to  the  law 
of  the  state,  in  that  case  made  and  provided,  the 
law  of  God  is  set  aside — the  Majesty  of  heaven 
is  insulted,  and  the  rights  of  humanity  outraged 
and  trampled  upon,  by  those  who  ought  to  protect 

*  See  Read's  Digest,  page  265. 

f  In  this  case,  the  juror's  oath  must  be  considered  as 
null  and  void,  or  else  broken ;  for  he  has  acted  flatly  con- 
trary thereto. 


68  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

them.     We  cannot,  conscientiously,  put  ourselves 
into  such  a  predicament.* 

But  farther,  we  may  not  engage  in  any  service, 
which  is  regulated  by,  or  puts  us  under,  the  con- 
trol of  any  immoral  law.  Engaging  in  the  militia, 
when  called  out  to  actual  service,  may  come  under 
this  consideration.  We  thus  pledge  ourselves,  by 
our  own  act  and  deed,  if  need  be,  to  fight  in  de- 
fence of  any  one  of  the  existing  laws,  under  all 
existing  penalties,  in  such  cases  made  and  provided. 
Who  knows,  but  while  on  duty,  he  may  be  com- 
manded to  spill  his  blood  in  support  of  a  mass- 
house,  or  at  the  cannon's  mouth,  protect  the  graven 
images  of  the  gross  idolater,  which  God  has  ex- 
pressly commanded  to  be  destroyed?  Deut.  vii, 
5.  We  ought  not,  therefore,  to  put  ourselves  into 
a  situation,  in  which  we  know,  that  a  thing,  in  it- 
self immoral,  may  be  legally  commanded,  under 
the  specific  penalties,  while  we  stand  pledged,  by 
our  own  act  and  deed,  to  yield  obedience. 

*  In  no  case  does  the  violation  of  the  divine  law  appear 
more  flagrant  than  in  the  law  of  Pennsylvania  respecting 
murder.  Got!  expressly  commands,  in  the  most  pointed 
manner,  Gen.  ix.  6,  "Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood,  by 
man  shall  his  blood  be  shed."  And  Numb.  xxxv.  31 , 
"Moreover,  ye  shall  take  no  satisfaction  for  the  life  of  a 
murderer,  which  is  guilty  of  death ;  but  he  shall  be  sUrely 
put  to  death."  Verse  33 ;  "  And  the  land  cannot  be 
cleansed  of  the  blood  that  is  shed  therein,  but  by  the  blood 
of  him  that  shed  it." 

The  divine  law  distinguishes  between  man-slaughter 
and  murder;  but  not  between  murder  of  the  first  degree, 
and  murder  of  the  second.  How  flatly  contradictory  to 
the  law  of  God  is  the  law  of  Pennsylvania,  which  declares 
that,  after  April  22,  1794,  "No  crime  whatsoever,  (ex- 
cept murder  of  the  first  degree,)  shall  be  punished  with 
death  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania."  See  Read's  Digest, 
page  288.  How  could  a  juror,  who  was  a  Bible  believer^ 
act  in  this  case  ? 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  69 

5.  We  may  do  every  thing  commanded,  which 
is  in  itself  right  and  lawful;  provided  it  be  not 
clogged  by  some  immoral  circumstance. 

This  will  account  for  our  refusing  to  avail  our- 
selves of  the  rights,  execute  the  offices,  or  engage 
in  the  services  mentioned  in  the  last  particular: 
though  there  is  no  criminality  in  the  things  them- 
selves, yet  they  are  connected  with  such  circum- 
stances as  we  deem  immoral. 

Many  things,  not  criminal  in  themselves,  ought 
to  be  abstained  from,  on  this  account.  For  ex- 
ample, it  would  not  be  considered  as  unlawful,  in 
itself,  for  a  Presbyterian  to  go  to  Rome,  suppose 
to  make  some  mercantile  arrangements;  but,  pro- 
vided that  allegiance  to  the  holy  see,  and  worship- 
ping the  host,  were  made  a  condition  of  his  en- 
tering that  city,  he  ought  surely  not  to  go  thither. 
In  like  manner,  the  offices,  &c.  which  we  refuse, 
though  all  lawful,  considered  in  themselves,  yet, 
since  they  cannot  be  engaged  in,  unconnected  with 
some  immorality,  ought  not  to  be  accepted  at  all. 
But  all  other  things  commanded  by  the  constituted 
authorities,  which  are  neither  in  themselves  un- 
lawful, nor  connected  with  unlawful  circumstances, 
may  be  done,  not  because  they  are  commanded 
by  legitimate  authority,  (which  is  the  true  tessera 
of  loyalty)  but,  either  because  the  moral  law  re- 
quires them,  or  because  we  may  be  compelled  to 
do  them  by  physical  force.  This  may  happen  to 
be  the  case,  in  those  things  which  are  not  in  them- 
selves morally  evil ;  and  when  commanded  to  do 
such  things  under  heavy  pains,  of  these  two  phy- 
sical evils,  we  may  lawfully  choose  the  least. 
Thus,  I  may  give  away  part  of  my  property,  to 
save  the  remainder,  though  the  man  who  demands 
it  has  no  other  right  than  physical  force,  or  a 
power  of  compelling  obedience. 


70  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

6.  We  ought  to  wait  patiently,  under  these  dis- 
advantages, till  the  Lord  be  pleased  to  bring  back 
again  the  captivity  of  Zion.  Thus,  the  weeping 
prophet  observes,  Lam.  iii.  26.  "  It  is  good  that  a 
man  should  both  hope,  and  quietly  wait  for  the 
salvation  of  the  Lord."  Our  principles  may,  in- 
deed, subject  us  to  much  inconvenience;  but  we 
ought,  like  Moses,  to  prefer  affliction  with  the 
people  of  God  to  the  treasures  of  E^ypt,  and  the 
pleasures  of  sin,  which  are  but  for  a  season; 
keeping  our  eye  upon  the  recompense  of  reward. 
Heb.  xi.  25,  26. 

Is  it  reasonable  to  expect,  that,  while  the  Dra- 
gon's successors  are  in  power,  and  the  rulers  of 
the  earth  endeavouring  to  heal  the  wounds  of  the 
beast,  the  woman  and  her  seed  will  return  from 
the  wilderness?  Rev.  xii.  14,  17.  The  time, 
times,  and  half  a  time,  or  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
years,  are  not  yet  closed,  since  she  fled  thither  on 
eagle's  wings,  during  which  period  she  should  lay 
her  accounts  with  embarrassments  and  tribulations. 

Nay,  there  is  reason  to  expect,  that  still  more 
tremendous  scenes  of  persecution  and  carnage  yet 
await  the  church,  than  any  she  has  hitherto  ex- 
perienced. The  Witnesses  have  not  yet  finished 
their  testimony.  One  point  yet  remains  to  be 
sealed  with  their  blood,  namely,  the  Mediator's 
headship  over  the  nations.  'Tis  not  unlikely,  that 
this  is  one  of  the  articles  for  which  the  witnesses 
shall  be  slain,  when,  as  we  read,  Rev.  xi.  8,  9, 
"they  shall  lie  dead  three  days  and  a  half,"  which 
is  equal  to  three  years  and  a  half,  in  prophetic 
language.  But  they  shall  have  a  glorious  resur- 
rection, when  these  three  days  and  a  half  are  ex- 
pired. And  though  we  should  not  live  to  see  these 
happy  days,  let  us  rejoice  in  the  consideration, 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  71 

that  we  have  been  endeavouring,  in  our  civil  and 
religious  systems,  to  anticipate  the  millennial  period 
when  Jesus  shall  reign  in  Jerusalem,  in  Mount 
Zion,  and  before  his  ancients,  gloriously.  And,  if 
we  are  faithful  and  conscientious  in  doing  so,  God 
will  say  to  us,  as  he  did  to  David,  respecting  his 
intention  of  building  the  temple,  "Thou  didst  well 
that  it  was  in  thine  heart." 

7.  We  ought  to  live  peaceable  and  regular  lives, 
"giving  no  offence  to  Jew  or  Gentile,  or  to  the 
church  of  God."  1st  Cor.  x.  32.  "To  adorn 
the  doctrine  of  God  our  Saviour  in  all  things." 
Tit.  ii.  10.  To  oppose  all  riotous  and  seditious 
practices,  which  may  arise  to  injure  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  the  land  wherein  we  live — to  comply 
with  the  common  order  of  society,  in  all  things  in 
themselves  lawful — to  live  as  citizens  of  the  world, 
and  not  incorporate  ourselves  with  the  national 
society,  in  any  of  their  political  movements;  look- 
ing up  for  the  day  of  our  redemption,  when  God's 
appointed  time  for  favouring  Zion  shall  come. 
But  as  the  doctrines  advanced  in  the  preceding 
part  of  this  discourse  are  unpopular  with  the  pre- 
sent generation,  it  may  be  necessary,  in  the 

X.  place,  to  obviate  some  of  the  leading  objec- 
tions which  are  usually  made  thereto. 

Objection  1.  The  apostle,  Rom.  xiii.  1,  in- 
forms us,  that  all  power  is  of  God — "There  is  no 
power  but  of  God,"  consequently,  we  owe  con- 
scientious obedience  to  every  power.  To  this,  it 
may  be  answered, —  There  are  two  kinds  of 
power,  viz.  physical  and  moral;  both  are  of  God: 
for  "in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our 
being."  Acts  xvii.  28. 

By  the  exorcise  of  the  first,  all  actions,  just  and 
unjust,  are  performed.  In  the  exercise  of  this 


72  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

physical  power,  Paul  persecuted  the  church  of 
Jesus:  by  the  same  power,  he  laboured,  with  un- 
wearied industry,  in  the  propagation  of  the  doc- 
trines of  the  cross.  This  power,  therefore,  is 
common  to  all  actions,  whether  moral  or  immoral, 
that  come  to  pass  in  the  providence  of  God.  The 

Second,  is  not  only  providential,  but  also  moral 
and  preceptive,  and  respects  those  things  which 
God  in  his  law  requires  as  the  duty  of  moral  sub- 
jects to  perform. 

Is  it  the  first  or  the  second  of  those  that  every 
soul  is  commanded  to  be  subject  unto,  under  the 
penalty  of  damnation,  mentioned  under  the  pas- 
sage now  under  consideration  ? 

If  the  first,  then  it  is  a  damnable  sin  to  resist 
the  Devil !  For  he  is  a  "  power,"  and  in  the  pro- 
vidence of  God,  as  prince  of  this  world,  he  rules 
in  the  hearts  of  the  children  of  disobedience,  Eph. 
ii.  2.  But  this  cannot  be  the  case,  for  God  has 
strictly  charged  us  to  resist  him.  James  iv.  7. 
Were  this  the  case,  then  we  would  incur  Jeho- 
vah's wrath,  in  resisting  lions,  tigers,  and  other 
beasts  of  prey:  for  in  the  providence  of  God,  they 
possess  more  physical  power  than  we  do,  and 
have  also  derived  it  from  God. 

Then,  at  the  risk  of  damnation,  would  tyrants 
and  usurpers  be  resisted,  and  the  justly  exploded 
doctrine  of  passive  obedience  and  non-resistance 
would  be  recognised  under  pain  of  Jehovah's  high 
displeasure!!  And  to  crown  all,  the  people  of 
these  states,  who  justly  and  valiantly  resisted  the 
wicked  domination  of  the  British  tyrant,  would 
have  thereby  rendered  themselves  obnoxious  to 
damnation !  ! ! 

This  doctrine,  however,  is  too  grossly  ridiculous 
to  merit  much  serious  attention.  I  conclude, 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  73 

therefore,  that  the  power  in  question  is  of  the 
moral  and  preceptive  kind  :  unto  which  obedience 
is  enjoined,  under  such  heavy  penalties.  To  this 
we  heartily  subscribe ;  and  believe  that  none  else 
can  bind  the  conscience,  or  be  entitled  to  consci- 
entious subjection. 

This  will,  moreover,  appear  evident,  by  attend- 
ing to  the  qualifications  of  that  power  unto  which 
we  are  commanded  to  be  subject,  in  the  passage 
alluded  to.  See  Rom.  xiii.  1,  7. 

Obj.  2.  But  God  has  commanded  to  be  sub- 
ject unto  them  for  conscience  sake.  Rom.  xiii. 
5.  And  1st  Pet.  ii.  13. 

rfns.  The  power  alluded  to,  in  the  first  of  the 
quotations,  was  already  proved  to  be  moral  and 
preceptive.  This  must  necessarily  be  the  case, 
with  all  power  entitled  to  obedience,  for  conscience 
sake.  If  a  power  contrary  to  the  divine  law  be 
entitled  to  conscientious  obedience,  God  is  no 
longer  the  exclusive  Lord  of  the  conscience,  but 
it  is  subject  even  to  the  illegitimate  dominion  of 
men.  It  is  true,  many  things  commanded  by  im- 
moral powers,  when  not  in  their  natures  sinful,  we 
may  be  obliged  to  perform,  and  even  these  actions, 
as  well  as  others,  should  be  done  conscientiously. 
For  example,  were  I  enslaved  by  an  Algerina 
pirate,  and  sold  to  a  cruel  master,  I  ought  not,  by 
fractious  anil  stubborn  conduct,  to  procure  myself 
the  bastinado,  or  turn  the  rod  of  chastisement  into 
a  venomous  serpent.  I  am  in  his  power,  and  so 
should  behave  obsequiously,  in  all  things  in  them- 
selves lawful,  that  I  may  lighten  my  chain,  and 
alleviate  the  evils  which  I  cannot  avoid.  Such  a 
course  of  conduct  my  conscience  should  approve. 
But  on  what  account?  Is  it  because  my  con- 
science approves  of  his  right  to  keep  me  in  slavery^? 
7 


74  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

Nay,  is  it  not  rather  because  my  conscience  ap- 
proves of  using  every  innocent  means,  which  the 
laws  of  self-preservation  may  dictate,  to  alleviate 
my  present  misery  ? 

This  principle  is  equally  applicable  to  a  people 
under  unjust  and  immoral  governments ;  and  to  no 
other  kind  of  subjection  was  Nero,  the  monster  at 
the  head  of  the  Roman  empire,  when  the  apostle 
gave  the  above  directions,  entitled.  Did  he  pos- 
sess any  of  the  characters  connected  with  that 
power,  unto  which  obedience  for  conscience  sake 
is  enjoined?  If  we  give  credit  to  the  historians 
of  his  age,  he  was  the  very  reverse  of  all  these. 
The  brutal  barbarities  of  his  reign  are  too  notori- 
ous to  require  rehearsal,  and  too  shocking  to  the 
feelings  to  be  told,  when  necessity  does  not  de- 
mand it.  But  still,  it  is  objected,  "that  even 
though  he  was  such  a  monster,  yet  all  his  lawful 
commands  ought  to  be  obeyed."  To  this,  it  may 
be  observed;  that  he  who  has  no  moral  right  to 
command,  can  give  no  lawful  commands.  A  com- 
mand presupposes  a  power  commanding.  The 
legality  or  illegality  of  the  command  is  determined 
by  the  legitimacy  or  illegitimacy  of  the  power 
from  which  it  flows.  "  Who  (says  the  inspired 
penman)  can  bring  a  clean  thing  out  of  an  unclean  ? 
Not  one." 

An  immoral  power  may  command  what  is  in 
itself  lawful,  and  which  may  and  ought  to  be  done; 
yet,  as  a  moral  authority  is  necessary  to  constitute 
a  lawful  command,  the  latter  cannot  exist  where 
the  former  is  wanting.  Suppose,  for  example, 
my  neighbour,  who  has  no  civil  or  religious  au- 
thority over  me,  should  come  to  my  house,  and 
authoritatively  command  me  to  worship  God  in 
my  family,  and  conscientiously  perform  the  duties 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL*  75 

of  my  station:  all  this  I  am  bound  to  do,  because 
it  is  right,  but  does  any  part  of  my  obligation 
arise  from  his  command?  His  command  was 
without  authority;  and,  when  this  imposes  moral 
obligation,  we  need  not  think  it  strange  to  find 
sons  who  have  had  no  fathers—wives  who  have 
no  husbands — and  things  existing  in  plenty,  with- 
out their  necessary  correlates. 

It  is  farther  objected  here,  "  that  the  apostle 
could  not  have  had  any  other  particularly  in  view, 
but  Nero,  or,  at  least  that  he  must  be  meant;  be- 
cause it  would  otherwise  render  the  precept  use- 
less, as  to  any  immediate  application  to  existing 
circumstances." 

This  objection  is  repugnant  to  daily  experience. 
Were  it  just,  then  all  instruction  of  youth,  to  fill 
the  various  departments  of  social  life,  to  which 
they  might  be  destined,  when  grown  to  maturity, 
would  be  useless  and  inexpedient.  To  what  pur- 
pose, then,  would  God  have  given  Israel  a  consti- 
tution and  laws,  for  their  kings  to  walk  by,  while 
they  were  yet  in  the  wilderness?  See  Deut.  xvii. 
15. 

Obj.  3.  "  But  even  the  worst  of  rulers,  such  as 
Hazael,  <fcc.,  are  said  to  be  anointed  of  God,  1st 
Kings  xix.  15,  and  so  should  be  considered  legiti- 
mate." 

Jim.  The  general  signification  of  anointing,  is 
a  setting  apart  for  some  particular  service.  Thus, 
though  God  denominates  the  Assyrians,  Medes, 
and  Persians,  the  "rod  of  his  anger,"  he  also  de- 
signates them  by  the  name  of  his  "sanctified"  or 
anointed  "ones."  Isai.  xiii.  3.  As  for  Hazael's 
unction,  it  was  only  setting  him  apart  to  be  a 
scourge  and  plague  to  Israel,  on  account  of  their 
sins — "  to  rip  up  their  women  with  child — dash 


76  THB  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

their  children — slay  their  young  men,  and  fire 
their  strong-holds."  3d  Kings  viii.  12. 

To  such  work,  that,  when  foretold  by  the  pro- 
phet Elisha,  he  replies,  "  Is  thy  servant  a  dog,  that 
he  should  do  this  thing  ?" 

God,  in  his  providence,  sometimes  sets  apart 
earthquakes,  pestilence,  locusts,  &c.,  as  the  mi- 
nisters of  his  wrath,  and  executors  of  his  ven- 
geance ;  but,  what  argument  can  be  brought  from 
this  to  prove  that  we  ought  to  yield  obedience,  for 
conscience  sake,  to  immoral  power,  whether  the 
immorality  lie  in  the  constitution  or  the  adminis- 
tration ? 

Obj.  4.  "  But  the  saints  accepted  offices,  and 
held  places  of  trust,  under  heathen  princes.  See 
the  cases  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Daniel,  in  the 
books  called  by  their  names." 

If  the  saints  thus  accepted  offices,  &c.,  we 
may  conclude,  either  first,  that  the  power  was  le- 
gitimate— or  second,  that  offices  may  be  held  un- 
der illegitimate  governments,  or  third,  that  the 
saints  sinned  in  accepting  them. 

rfns.  The  second  proposition  we  grant.  The 
first  and  third  we  deny. 

Let  us  inquire  whether,  because  Daniel  lawfully 
held  an  office  in  Babylon,  either  of  these  two  pro- 
positions will  necessarily  follow,  viz.,  first,  that 
he  recognised  the  government  in  Babylon  as  legi- 
timate ;  or  second,  that  we  may  lawfully  hold  and 
execute  ail  offices,  without  exception,  under  the 
American  constitution  ? 

As  to  the  first  of  these,  I  would  observe,  the 
principles  laid  down  in  the  fourth  particular  of 
the  preceding  head  of  this  discourse,  respecting 
the  holding  of  offices,  &c,,  if  justly  applied,  will 
solve  this  question.  There  are  laid  down  in  that 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  77 

place  certain  principles,  ascertaining  what  offices 
may  not  be  held  without  homologating  an  immo- 
ral constitution.  Here  I  would  lay  down  a  prin- 
ciple, which  may  be  of  use  to  ascertain  positively, 
what  offices  may  be  held,  without  criminality,  be 
the  government  never  so  wicked. 

Any  office  may  be  held,  or  service  engaged  in, 
upon  the  three  following  conditions : 

1st.  That  the  duties  belonging  to  it  be  right  in 
themselves. 

2d.  That  they  be  regulated  by  a  just  law. 

3d.  That  there  be  no  other  oath  of  office  re- 
quired, but  faithfully  to  execute  official  duties. 
Let  these  be  the  stipulations,  and  an  office  may 
be  held  under  any  power,  however  immorally  con- 
stituted, without  an  homologation  of  its  immorality. 

Suppose  I  were  in  Algiers,  residing  there  at 
pleasure;  would  my  accepting  an  office  from  the 
Dey,  under  the  regulations  now  specified,  say  pro- 
fessorship in  a  university  instituted  by  him,  for 
the  instruction  of  youth,  be  an  homologation  of  his 
immoral  regency — naval  piracy — or  the  blood  and 
murder  upon  which  his  throne  is  erected  ?  If 
there  as  a  slave,  would  not  the  appointment  be 
still  more  eligible  ?  This  corresponds  with  the 
situation  of  the  captives  in  Babylon:  it  does  not, 
therefore,  follow,  that  holding  an  office  necessarily 
supposes,  either  that  the  government  be  lawful,  or 
if  not,  that  the  person  holding  the  office  is  impli- 
cated in  the  immorality. 

With  respect  to  the  second  thing,  supposed  to 
follow  from  Daniel's  holding  an  office  in  Babylon, 
viz.,  that  we  may  hold  any  office,  without  excep-1 
tion,  under  the  American  constitution,  it  may  be 
observed,  that  in  order  to  this  the  cases  must  be 
parallel,  and  then  it  will  be  readily  granted.  But 
7* 


78  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

the  cases  are  vastly  different.  The  immorality  of 
the  Babylonish  government  was  indefinite.  They 
had  no  fixed  constitution.  The  monarch  was 
legislator.  His  will  was  the  law  of  the  realm. 
Dan.  v.  19.  "  Whom  he  would  he  slew,  and 
whom  he  would  he  kept  alive."  We  are  not 
certain  whether  there  was  any  thing  essential  to 
this  government  but  mere  physical  force,  and  that 
is  neither  moral  nor  immoral  in  itself.  But  in  the 
American  constitutions  almost  every  thing  is  spe- 
cific, and  essential  to  the  social  compact.  And, 
though  we  are  no  advocates  for  absolute  govern- 
ment, where  the  monarch's  will  is  the  law;  nay, 
though  we  think  that  constitutions  and  laws  cannot 
be  too  specific  and  definite;  yet,  we  are  of  opinion, 
offices  may  be  held  under  absolute  princes,  whose 
wills  are  limited  by  no  fixed  constitution,  without 
being  implicated  in  any  criminality,  when  they 
cannot  be  so  held  under  some  more  specifically 
constituted.  In  these,  offices  are  usually  entan- 
gled with  the  immorality  of  the  constitution,  to 
which,  also,  allegiance  is,  in  almost  all  cases,  re- 
quired. In  those,  there  is  no  immoral  constitution 
to  swear  allegiance  to.  And  if  the  monarch's  will, 
which  resembles  a  standing  legislature,  command 
that  which  is  immoral,  it  ought  not  to  be  obeyed 
any  more  than  an  unjust  law,  even  when  there  is 
a  just  and  moral  constitution.  Daniel  had  not, 
therefore,  to  swear  to  support  an  immoral  consti- 
tution, for  there  was  none. 

If  it  be  pleaded,  that  the  monarch's  will  was 
the  constitution,  this,  even  if  admitted,  makes  no 
difference.  The  office  was  either  such  as  required 
allegiance  to  this  constitution,  or  it  did  not.  If 
the  latter,  it  is  the  thing  contended  for,  viz.,  that 
there  was  no  immoral  obligation  connected  with 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  79 

his  office.  If  the  former,  he  was  perjured,  not 
only  by  breaking  it  in  several  instances,  but  in 
taking  it  also,  for  he  swore  to  a  blank,  i.  e.,  to 
perform  he  knew  not  what.  But  there  is  no  ac- 
count of  Daniel's  coming  under  any  such  obliga- 
tion. Indeed,  it  would  have  been  inconsistent 
with  the  smiles  of  Heaven,  which  he,  and  others 
in  office,  evidently  enjoyed. 

Let  us  suppose  a  case,  similar  to  that  of  Daniel, 
and  another,  similar  to  our  situation,  at  present, 
under  the  American  constitutions.  This  may  serve 
as  an  illustration  of  the  general  principle  here  con- 
tended for. 

Let  one  man  be  taken  prisoner  by  a  party  of 
Indians,  intending  to  explore  the  head  waters  of 
the  Mississippi.  They  have  no  particular  system 
laid  down  for  regulating  their  conduct  during  the 
expedition.  They  are  under  the  command  of  a 
chief,  whose  will  is  the  law,  and  who  has  power 
to  punish  in  case  of  disobedience.  Let  another, 
in  I3rovidence,  be  residing  among  a  party  engaged 
in  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  agriculture,  and  now 
and  then  trafficking  in  furs,  the  product  of  their 
hunting  excursions.  Let  this  party  have  a  small 
system  of  rules,  specifically  providing  for  every 
office  that  may  be  necessary  in  the  community. 
Let  all  the  rules  of  this  little  system  be  just  and 
equitable,  save  one.  Suppose  the  exceptionable 
one  to  be,  that  every  morning  and  evening,  the 
officers  shall  take  care  that  those  under  their  re- 
spective charges,  shall  pow  wow,  or  worship  the 
Devil,  as  it  is  said  some  of  the  Indian  tribes  are 
accustomed  to  do.  Let  an  oath  to  support  and 
maintain  this  little  code  be  made,  by  the  commu- 
nity, an  essential  qualification  of  holding  any  office. 

Now,  supposing  these  two  men  are  called  to 


80  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

accept  offices  in  their  respective  tribes,  may  they 
both  comply  with  good  consciences? 

Or  rather,  may  not  the  one,  of  whom  no  immo- 
ral stipulation  is  required,  safely  do  it;  and,  if 
commanded  to  do  what  is  wrong,  imitate  Daniel, 
who,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  disobeyed  the  king's 
commandment:  whereas,  the  other  may  not  ac- 
cept, for  he  is  introduced  to  office  by  a  stipulation 
which  violates  the  moral  law.  The  application 
of  this  is  abundantly  evident. 

Obj.  5.  "  But  the  saints  prayed  for  them,  Gen. 
xlvii.  7,  10,  and  Dan.  vi.  21.  And  in  1st  Tim. 
ii.  2,  they  are  commanded  to  do  so.  Must  they 
not,  therefore,  be  considered  as  legitimate  rulers  1" 

«/?ns.  If  they  be  immorally  constituted,  prayer 
for  them,  as  such,  is  plainly  contrary  to  the  com- 
mand of  God,  2d  John  10th  and  llth  verses.  As 
men,  they  ought  to  be  prayed  for,  according  to 
the  command  of  God,  1st  Tim.  ii.  1,  where  we 
are  ordered  to  make  "prayers  and  intercessions 
for  all  men."  As  to  the  command  to  pray  for 
kings,  &c.,  1st  Tim.  ii.  2,  it  is  evident  it  respected 
moral  rulers,  who  conduct  their  administrations  so 
that  godliness,  true  piety,  and  honesty,  may  be 
promoted  among  their  subjects. 

Obj.  6.  "The  saints  addressed  them  for  justice, 
Acts  xxv.  10,  12,  and  xxvi.  32,  where  the  apostle 
appeals  unto  Csesar." 

To  this  I  answer,  an  appeal  to  their  tribunals 
no  more  involves  in  it  an  homologation  of  their 
lawful  dominion,  than  an  appeal  from  a  murderer 
to  a  thief,  who  would  be  disposed  to  save  one's 
life,  would  be  an  homologation  of  his  living  ha- 
bitually in  the  breach  of  the  eighth  commandment. 
Suppose,  for  example,  that  the  Allegheny  moun- 
tains were  infested  with  a  banditti  of  robbers,  whose 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  81 

captain  retained  still  so  much  humanity  as  to  esta- 
blish a  law,  that  no  poor  man  should  be  robbed  of 
more  than  ten  dollars — you  happen  to  be  crossing 
the  mountain — five  of  the  gang  approach  you,  and 
rob  you  of  one  hundred,  which  is  nearly  your  all — 
you  meet  with  the  master  of  the  fraternity — you 
know  the  law — and  believe  that  he  still  has  as 
much  humanity  remaining  as  will  induce  him  to 
execute  it.  Will  you  appeal  to  him  to  cause  your 
ninety  dollars  to  be  refundedv  which  are  due  to 
you  by  his  own  law?  If  you  do,  will  this  impli- 
cate you  in  the  immorality  of  the  banditti,  or  be 
saying  Arnen  to  their  unlawful  practice?  Cer- 
tainly not.  If  this  hold  in  the  greater,  it  will 
surely  hold  in  the  less.  If  an  appeal  may  be 
made  to  the  captain  of  a  band  of  robbers,  without 
implication  in  his  criminality,  much  more  to  these 
institutions,  which,  though  wrong  in  some  funda- 
mentals, are  yet  aiming  at  the  good  of  civil  society. 

Obj.  7.  "  Christ  himself  both  paid  tribute,  and 
commanded  his  disciples  to  pay  it,  and  that  even 
to  Caesar,  Matt.  xvii.  27,  and  xxii.  21.  Was  not 
this  an  acknowledgment  of  his  authority?" 

tins.  Simple  payment  of  tribute  never  was  con- 
sidered as  any  homologation  of  the  authority  im- 
posing it.  It  may  be  given  to  the  worst  of  tyrants, 
if  not  demanded  as  a  tessera  of  loyalty. 

We  might  ask  here,  Do  the  people  of  the 
United  States  homologate  the  authority  of  the 
Dey  of  Algiers,  or,  for  conscience  sake,  recognise 
him  as  their  legitimate  ruler,  when  they  pay  their 
annual  tribute  to  the  haughty  Musselman?  Do 
they  think  that  the  Dey  has  any  moral  right  to 
demand  such  a  thing?  Do  they  not  rather  go  upon 
the  principle,  that  it  is  better  to  give  a  part  to  save 
the  remainder,  than,  by  withholding,  lose  all? 


82  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

Such  a  course  of  conduct  may  be  prudent  and 
innocent  with  any  band  of  robbers. 

The  allegation  brought  from  Matt.  xvii.  27,  is 
evidently  unfounded.  See  the  passage. 

The  best  commentators  consider  the  tribute 
here  mentioned  to  be  temple  money,  the  ransom 
of  the  soul  spoken  of,  Exod.  xxx.  12,  13.  That 
this  was  the  case  will  appear  evident,  first,  be- 
cause the  piece  of  money  found  in  the  fish's 
mouth  is  allowed,  fey  the  best  critics,  to  be  equal 
in  value  to  two  half  shekels,  one  for  Christ,  and 
the  Bother  for  Peter.  And,  secondly,  from  th£ 
argument  by  which  our  Lord  pleads  exemption, 
namely,  from  the  example  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth.  "  What  thinkest  thou,  Simon?  Of  whom 
do  the  kings  of  the  earth  take  custom  or  tribute? 
Of  their  own  children,  or  of  strangers?  Peter 
saith  unto  him,  of  strangers.  Jesus  saith  unto 
him,  then  are  the  children  free."  Here  we  find, 
by  the  example  of  earthly  kings,  Christ  was  free. 
How  was  he  free  ?  By  being  the  Son  to  the  King 
to  whom  the  tribute  belonged.  Who  was  this 
King?  It  could  not  be  Ca?sar.  Was  Christ  Cae- 
sar's son?  No.  For  had  he  been  Caesar's  son, 
it  must  have  been,  either  by  natural  generation, 
adoption,  or  citizenship.  None  of  all  these  was 
the  case.  And  even  though  the  last  had  taken 
place,  which  is  the  only  plausible  supposition, 
(though  false,)  it  would  not  have  procured  this 
immunity,  because  citizenship  did  not  exempt 
from  tribute.  But  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  the  God 
of  heaven,  that  King  to  whom  this  tribute  be- 
longed; hence  he  says,  "notwithstanding,"  that 
is,  though  I  am  free,  by  the  relation  of  Son- 
ship,  &c. 

The  other  allegation  brought  from  Matt.  xxii. 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  83 

21,  "  Render  to  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's," 
&c,,  is  equally  unfounde^ 

It  is  abundantly  evident  from  tlfe  passage,  that 
the  question  was  intended  to  insnare  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  answer  as  he  would.  It  was  pro- 
posed by  the  Herodians,  and  Pharisees;  those, 
votaries  for  Roman  domination,  and  these,  the 
sticklers  for  Jewish  immunities. 

Had  he  said,  "  Give  it  to  Caesar,"  the  Phari- 
sqes,  ever  ready  to  accuse  him^wonld  have  repre- 
sented him  to  the  people  as  an  enemy  to  their 
ancient  privileges.  Had  he  said,  "  Don't  give  it," 
the  Herodians  would  have  represented  him  to 
Herod  as  an  enemy  to  the  government  of  Caesar. 
In  the  fifteenth  verse,  we  are  expressly  told,  they 
came  to  him  with  a  view  to  "  entangle  him  in 
his  talk."  But  he,  "knowing  their  craftiness," 
split  their  dilemma,  and  left  their  question  unde- 
cided. He,  on  several  other  occasions,  thus  baf- 
.fled  his  adversaries;  as  in  John  viii.  4,  12,  in  the 
case  of  the  "  woman  taken  in  adultery ;"  and  in 
Luke  xii.  14,  when  application  was  made  to  him 
concerning  the  settlement  of  the  earthly  inherit- 
ance. It  is  objected  here,  by  some,  "that  this 
explanation  of  our  Saviour's  answer  represents 
the  Lord  as  shunning  to  declare  the  whole  counsel 
of  God — giving  no  answer  in  a  case  respecting  sin 
and  duty."  The  inference  is  false.  They  were 
not  without  information  on  this  very  subject. 
They  had  the  law  and  the  prophets.  The  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  had  given'specific  directions  concern- 
ing the  character  of  lawful  rulers,  Deut.  xvii.  15. 
to  whom  it  was  lawful  to  pay  tribute  for  con- 
science sake.  But  it  was  not  information  they 
wanted,  but  to  insnare  him,  let  him  answer  as  he 
would,  as  has  already  been  shown.  If  silence,  or 


84  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

refusing  to  answer  in  every  case,  even  in  matters 
respecting  sin  and  dutj^let  the  design  of  the  que- 
rist be  what  it  will,  be  accounted  criminal,  in  what 
point  of  light  will  the  objector  view  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  when  he  finds  him  actually  refusing 
to  answer  a  question  respecting  sin  and  duty,  in 
the  case  of  his  own  authority  ?  Mark  xi.  27,  33. 
"  Neither  do  I  tell  you  (says  he)  by  what  autho- 
rity I  do  these  things."  It  would  be  well  if  men 
would  consider  thy  awful  consequences  of  some 
of  their  objections  before  they  make  them. 

But,  supposing  that  Christ,  in  both  the  instances 
alluded  to,  had  commanded  tribute  to  be  paid  to 
Caesar,  what  does  it  prove  ?  Unless  he  com- 
manded it  to  be  paid  as  a  tessera  of  loyalty,  it 
proves  no  more  the  morality  of  Caesar's  right, 
than  a  minister  of  the  gospel's  advising  one  of  his 
hearers  to  give  the  robber  part  of  his  property,  to 
secure  the  remainder,  would,  that  the  minister 
considered  the  robber  morally  entitled  to  it. 

Obj.  8.  "  But  you  make  use  of  the  money  which 
receives  its  currency  from  their  sanction  ;  and  you 
support  them  by  paying  tribute,  &c.  Why  not 
swear  allegiance,  hold  offices  ?"  &c. 

Jlns.  We  make  use  of  the  money,  to  be  sure ; 
but  when  we  give  an  equivalent  for  it,  by  industry 
or  otherwise,  it  is  our  own  property;  and,  an- 
other man's  stamping  his  name  upon  our  coats,  is 
no  reason  why  we  should  throw  them  away, 

It  must  be  granted,  also,  that  we  do  support 
them  by  paying  tribute,  &c.  So  do  we  the  rob- 
ber, unto  whom  we  give  a  part  to  save  the  re- 
mainder. But  will  it  therefore  follow  that  I  may 
legally  swear  allegiance  to  him,  or  become  one  of 
his  officers,  in  the  business  of  robbery  and  plunder  ? 

Obj.  9.    "You  swear  oaths   administered  by 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  85 

them,  and  hold  deeds  of  land,  &c.,  whose  validity- 
rests  entirely  on  their  sa^ion." 

Jlns.  Administration  iSiot  essential  to  an  cath. 
It  is  no  part  of  it.  An  oath  is  a  solemn  appeal  to 
God,  in  which  we  call  him  to  witness  the  truth  of 
what  we  assert  or  promise,  and  to  be  an  avenger, 
in  case  of  perjury.  Administration  is  nothing 
more  than  arranging  the  matter  and  expression  of 
the  oath  into  due  form.  This  may  be  done,  either 
Ijy  the  person  himself  who  swears,  or  proposed 
by  another;  and,  if  in  itself  equitable,  may  be 
adopted  by  the  juror,  be  the  proposer  whomsoever 
he  may. 

Should  a  robber  meet  me  on  the  highway,  and 
upon  rinding  that  I  had  no  money,  put  his  bayonet 
to  my  breast ;  and  should  it  appear  evidently  that 
he  intended  to  kill  me  unless  I  would  solemnly 
engage  to  take  or  send  hirn  a  certain  sum  of  mo- 
ney in  a  given  time,  say  fifty  dollars,  ought  I  not 
to  comply?  If  I  do,  the  oath  is  the  result  of  mu- 
tual stipulation,  which  existing  circumstances  ren- 
der eligible.  It  seems  to  me  immaterial  whether 
the  overture  originates  with  him  or  with  me.  In 
either  case,  I  consider  it  lawful  to  give  fifty  dollars 
to  save  my  life.  Would  swearing  this  oath,  if 
proposed  by  the  robber,  be  any  recognition  of  his 
right  to  my  property?  Where  would  be  the  dif- 
ference, should  my  life  be  saved,  by  another 
coming  under  similar  engagements  for  me  with  my 
consent?  Whatever  difference  there  is  between 
this  illustration,  and  appearing  in  common  courts 
of  justice,  to  plead,  or  be  impleaded,  where  oaths 
are  necessary  to  a  decision,  is  in  favour  of  the 
position  contended  for;  inasmuch  as  the  persons 
before  whom  the  affair  is  transacted  are  considered 
as  possessing  honour  and  respectability. 
8 


86  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

With  respect  to  the  other  allegation,  viz.,  "  The 
holding  land  by  tenuj^  whose  validity  depends 
upon  their  sanction,"  Wis  also  unfounded. 

Does  bargaining  with  a  man  for  any  article,  in 
all  cases,  recognise  the  morality  of  the  means 
whereby  he  became  possessed  of  the  said  article  ? 
if  it  does  so,  then,  should  any  foreign  power  con- 
quer America,  (which  God  forbid,)  and  declare  all 
tenures  of  land  null  and  void,  which  did  not  pro- 
ceed from  the  new  order  of  things,  it  would  be 
criminal  to  hold  them  thus,  and  so  the  land  must 
be  vacated,  and  its  planters  flee  somewhere  else  for 
an  asylum.  But,  supposing  they  found  things 
similar  wherever  they  go,  must  they  leave  this 
world  altogether?  They  must  neither  eat  nor 
drink  of  the  produce  of  the  land  held  by  this  im- 
moral tenure;  for,  by  the  hypothesis,  the  cultivator 
holds  it  by  an  immoral  tenure,  and  so,  no  bargain 
should  be  made  with  him,  more  than  with  the 
power  from  which  the  deed  originally  issues. 
Might  I  not  rent  a  room  of  my  own  house,  which 
a  man  has  deprived  me  of,  and  now  holds  legally, 
though  by  an  immoral  tenure,  without  thereby  re- 
cognising the  morality  of  his  right?  If  I  may 
rent  it,  may  I  not  give  an  article  in  writing,  securing 
the  payment  to  him  and  the  tenure  to  me?  If  I 
may  do  so  with  one  room,  may  I  not  do  sa  with 
the  whole  house  and  tenement  thereunto  belong- 
ing? If  I  may  rent  the  whole,  may  I  not  also 
purchase  it,  putting  the  bargain  under  similar  se- 
curities as  above  mentioned?  If  this  be  lawful, 
how  can  the  case  under  consideration  be  unlawful? 

Obj.  10.  "  But,  when  rulers  are  in  possession, 
by  the  voice  of  the  majority,  have  they  not,  there- 
fore, a  claim  to  conscientious  obedience?"  To 
this  I 

Answer.    Nations,  as  well  as  individuals,  are 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  87 

bound  to  act  agreeably  to  the  divine  law.  If  their 
conduct  is"  repugnant  thereto,  it  can  confer  no  right, 
nor  establish  any  obligation. 

The  act  of  a  majority  can  never  legitimate  what 
God  has  prohibited  under  pain  of  his  displeasure. 
If  it  could,  then  it  would  necessarily  follow  that 
all  things  usually  called  right  or  wrong,  are,  in 
themselves,  indifferent;  that  the  Bible  has  no  de- 
finite meaning,  in  itself,  but  takes  it  altogether 
from  the  opinions  of  men,  and  so  will  equally 
authenticate  two  systems,  though  diametrically 
opposite  to  each  other ! 

Neither  possession,  therefore,  nor  majority,  can 
give  a  right,  in  opposition  to  the  divine  law. 
Possession  may  vest  in  one,  and  the  right  in  an- 
other* as  in  the  case  of  Solomon  and  Adonijah, 
1st  Kings  i.  5.  Both  possession  and  majority 
may  vest  in  one  person,  and  the  right  in  another, 
as  in  the  case  of  David  and  Absalom,  2d  Sam. 
xv.  10,  and  xvii.  14.  The  voice  of  the  people  is 
to  be  considered  as  the  preceptive  voice  of  God 
only  when  they  act  agreeably  to  this  law;  but, 
when  the  contrary,  it  neither  establishes  right  nor 
constitutes  obligation.  Hence,  Hos.  viii.  4 :  "  They 
have  set  up  kings,  but  not  by  me:  they  have 
made  princes,  and  I  knew  it  not."  The  charge, 
here,  must  necessarily  respect  the  neglect  of  the 
precept,  for  none  could  be  advanced  to  civil  dig- 
nity without  his  providence.  A  sparrow  cannot 
fall  to  the  ground  without  his  providential  per- 
mission. 

Obj.  11."  The  restraint  and  punishment  of  ido- 
laters, blasphemers,  and  gross  heretics,  which  you 
contend  for,  belonged  to  the  Jewish  theocracy, 
which  was  typical,  and  so  ought  not  to  be  imi- 
tated." 


88  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

*Ans.  This  objection  is  extremely  popular,  and 
deserves  minute  attention. 

It  cannot  be  better  answered,  than  in  the  words 
of  the  late  Rev.  John  Brown,  minister  of  the  Se- 
ceding Church,  in  Haddington,  North  Britain,  in 
his  Treatise  on  Toleration,  page  57.  He  defies 
his  antagonist  to  prove  that  these  instances  of  the 
restraint  and  punishment  of  idolatry,  &c.,  by  the 
Jewish  rulers  were  merely  typical.  He  goes  on 
to  observe,  thus:  "  The  typical  magistrates  of  the 
Jewish  nation  also  exercised  laws  relative  to 
murder,  theft,  unchastity,  treason,  and  other  mat- 
ters of  the  second  table  of  the  law."  Ought, 
therefore,  no  magistrates  now  to  do  so?  The 
laws  respecting  the  duties  of  the  second  table  per- 
tained as  much  to  the  Jewish  theocracy  as  those 
relating  to  the  first.  Must,  therefore,  the  Christian 
magistrate,  for  fear  of  copying  the  Jewish  the- 
ocracy, meddle  with  no  morality  at  all?  Must 
every  thing  that  was  once  typical,  be  now,  under 
the  gospel,  excluded  from  regulating  authority  ? 
Must  all  the  excellent  patterns  of  Abel,  Enoch, 
Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  Joseph,  Job,  Mo- 
ses, Aaron,  Samuel,  David,  and  other  Hebrew 
saints,  be  rejected  as  typical  and  useless  ?  Must 
all  the  laws  directing  to  elect  men  fearing  .God, 
and  hating  covetousness,  to  be  magistrates ;  or, 
directing  men  to  judge  justly,  and  impartially,  and 
prudently,  and  to  punish  murderers,  adulterers, 
thieves,  robbers,  &c.,  be  discarded  as  typical? 
Must  the  weekly  Sabbath,  public  fasts,  and  thanks- 
givings, be  laid  aside  as  typical,  a  mere  sign  be- 
tween God  and  the  Israelites  ?  Must  the  ten  com- 
mandments, and  all  the  explications  of  them  in 
the  Old  Testament  be  discarded,  as  published  in  a 
typical  manner,  and  to  a  typical  people,  and  used 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  89 

as  the  principal  part  of  their  rule  of  government 
in  the  Jewish  theocracy?  As  the  Jewish  Church 
was  a  real  church,  and  not  merely  typical,  so  their 
state  was  a  real  commonwealth  or  kingdom,  and 
not  merely  typical:  whatever,  therefore,  pertained 
to  it,  as  a  real  commonwealth,  is  irnitable  in  any 
other.  The  Jewish  church  and  state  were  as 
really  distinct  as  the  church  and  state  are  now, 
though  I  do  not  say  precisely  in  the  same  manner." 
This  learned  and  pious  author  proceeds  to  show 
wherein  they  were  distinct,  which  he  does  in  ten 
different  particulars,  which  would  be  too  tedious 
to  detail  here. 

Those  who  would  desire  to  see  this  subject 
largely  and  judiciously  investigated,  will  find  it 
in  the  first  part  of  Gillespie's  Aaron's  Rod  Blos- 
soming, Book  I.,  Chaps.  1,  2,  3,  &c. 

Mr.  Brown  still  farther  shows  wherein  the 
Jewish  and  the  Christian  magistrate  agree.  This 
he  does  in  fourteen  different  particulars,  which 
the  inquisitive  reader  will  find  in  the  sixtieth, 
sixty-first,  and  sixty-second  pages  of  the  treatise 
cited  above. 

Obj.  12.  "  Your  principles  are  contrary  to  the 
fourth  section  of  the  twenty-third  article  of  the 
Westminster  Confession  of  Faith,  which  teaches, 
4  that  infidelity,  or  difference  in  religion,  doth  not 
make  void  the  magistrate's  just  and  legal  autho- 
rity, nor  free  the  people  from  their  due  obedience 
to  him.'  " 

tins.  The  sense  in  which  the  General  Assem- 
bly, as  also  the  current  of  reformers  and  martyrs 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  understood  this  pas- 
sage, is  fully  stated  in  our  Testimony,  as  also  in 
the  letter  from  Stirling,  by  the  Rev.  John  M'Mil- 
lan,  jun.  They  distinguished  between  reformed 


90  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

and  enlightened  lands  and  those  that  were  unre- 
formed  and  unenlightened.  In  the  latter  many 
things  may  be  borne  with  which  ought  not  to  be 
suffered  in  the  former;  particularly,  when,  by  a 
solemn  national  act,  they  have  made  Scriptural 
qualifications  essential  to  the  civil  constitution. 
This  our  ancestors  did  in  their  Covenants,  Na- 
tional and  Solemn  League.  All  ranks  and  con- 
ditions in  thefrealm  solemnly  swore  to  use  every 
lawful  endeavour  to  extirpate  popery,  prelacy, 
&c.  It  might  have  been  inquired,  would  swear- 
ing allegiance  to  a  constitution,  afterwards  erected 
upon  the  ruins  of  this,  of  which  the  support  and 
establishment  of  any  of  these  abhorred  abomina- 
tions was  made  an  essential  part,  have  been  a 
means  well  calculated  to  promote  the  intention  of 
their  oath?  This  was  exactly  the  situation  of  the 
lands  of  our  nativity. 

Prelacy,  which  had  been  nationally  abjured, 
was  made  essential  to  the  British  constitution ; 
and  the  king  solemnly  swore,  in  his  coronation 
oath,  to  support  it. 

Were  not  these  two  oaths,  viz.,  one,  to  extirpate 
prelacy,  and  another,  to  support  it,  flatly  contra- 
dictory? To  swear  the  latter  is  a  declaring  the 
former  unobligatory,  and,  consequently,  criminal, 
when  originally  entered  into.  Can  any  one,  pro- 
fessing friendship  to  the  reformation  of  these 
times,  thus  barefacedly  pronounce  its  sentence  of 
condemnation!! 

Let  the  authority  of  the  magistrate  be  just  and 
legal,  we  will  then  hold  ourselves  conscientiously 
bound  to  yield  obedience. 

No  authority  can  be  just  and  legal,  with  which 
a  contradiction  to  the  moral  law  is  essentially  in- 
corporated. Simple  infidelity  will  not  render  it 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  91 

unjust,  either  in  a  heathen  country  or  in  one 
emerging  from  pagan  darkness.  Neither  will 
simple  difference  in  religion  make  it  void,  when 
the  nation  have  not  by  their  own  solemn  act  and 
deed  made  conformity  an  essential  article  of  their 
constitution. 

There  may  be  many  defects  in  a  civil  constitu- 
tion, and  yet  is  morally  binding  upon  a  nation: 
but  where  plain  immorality,  or  a  solemn  obliga- 
tion to  support  what  the  Legislator  of  the  universe 
prohibits,  under  the  severest  penalties,  is  essen- 
tially incorporated  therewith,  it  cannot  bind  the 
conscience. 

Obj.  13.  "  Your  principles  lead  to  persecution, 
and  are  cruel  and  unmerciful." 

Jlns.  The  church  of  Christ  never  persecuted. 
If  our  principles  lead  to  it,  they  are  certainly 
wrong. 

But  what  is  persecution?  Does  it  consist  in 
executing  God's  law?  If  it  does,  he  must  be  the 
author  of  it.  Does  it  not  rather  consist  in  injuring 
men  in  their  characters,  property,  or  persons,  for 
their  tenacious  and  steadfast  adherence  to  his  di- 
vine commandments?  If  this  is  not  persecution, 
then  the  martyrs  have  suffered  not  for  the  cause 
and  testimony  of  Jesus,  but  for  their  obstinate  re- 
bellion against  it.  How  does  this  correspond 
with  the  character  of  those  souls  whom  John  saw 
lying  under  the  altar,  "  who  were  slain  for  the 
word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they 
held  ?"  Rev.  vi.  9.  Whatsoever  the  law  of  God 
commands  to  be  punished,  ought  to  be  punished 
with  the  penalties  therein  made  and  provided;  but 
God  has  commanded  gross  heretics,  blasphemers, 
and  idolaters,  to  be  punished  with  certain  specified 
penalties.  Therefore,  such  ought  to  be  punished. 


9*5  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

These  commands  could  not  belong  to  the  cere- 
monial law  ;  for  then  they  would  have  flowed  en- 
tirely from  the  arbitrary  will  of  God,  and  been 
mere  signs  between  him  and  Israel.  Who  would 
dare  to  think  so  of  gross  heresy,  &c.  ?  Neither 
could  they  belong  to  that  part  of  the  judicial  law 
which  respected  the  Jews  peculiarly.  Who  would 
dare  to  say  that  none  but  the  Jews  were,  or  are, 
under  obligation  to  worship  God  in  purity,  or  ab- 
stain from  blaspheming  his  name  and  dignity? 
They  must,  therefore,  belong  to  the  moral  law, 
and  flow  from  the  moral  nature  of  Jehovah,  who 
has  declared  he  will  not  give  his  glory  to  another, 
nor  his  praise  to  graven  images. 

Thus  we  find  the  first,  second,  and  third  pre- 
cepts of  the  moral  law  pointedly  prohibiting  these 
things,  and  requiring  the  contrary  duties.  All  the 
precepts  and  threatenings  which  are  to  be  found 
respecting  these  scattered  up  and  down  the  Bible, 
are  only  elucidations  of  those  commandments. 

I  would  leave  this  particular,  with  proposing 
one  question,  which  the  judicious  reader  will  easily 
solve.  Was  Elijah  a  persecutor  when  he  caused 
the  law  of  God  to  be  executed  upon  the  prophets 
of  Baal  ? 

Obj.  14.  "  But  the  constitution  makes  provision 
for  its  own  amendment;  if,  therefore,  you  think 
it  wrong,  why  don't  you  join  and  elect  good  repre- 
sentatives, who  may  be  instrumental  in  rectify- 
ing it?" 

Ans.  A  representative  must  swear  to  support 
the  constitution  before  he  can  take  a  seat  in  the 
legislative  assembly.  This  oath  we  have  already 
shown  to  be  immoral,  and  such  as  we  cannot,  in 
good  conscience,  swear  ourselves  ;  what,  therefore, 
we  cannot  do  ourselves,  on  account  of  its  immora- 
lity, we  ought  not  to  employ  others  to  do  for  us. 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  93 

We  are  bound  by  the  moral  law  and  our  cove- 
nant engagements  to  extirpate  all  heresy,  blas- 
phemy, and  idolatry,  as  far  as  our  influence  can 
extend.  We  consider  it  not  only  unlawful,  but 
also  a  very  unlikely  means  to  effect  this  desirable 
end,  first  to  swear  an  oath  which  necessarily  in- 
volves supporting  them.  Would  not  this  be  "  doing 
evil,  that  good  might  come"  of  it?  which  the 
apostle  pointedly  condemns. 

Supposing  we  were  certain  that  a  reform  in  these 
evils  would  be  obtained  next  day,  nay,  even  the 
next  hour ;  should  we  swear  an  unlawful  oath  to 
obtain  it,  we  would  be  violating  the  command  of 
the  Most  High,  and  incurring  his  severe  displea- 
sure. But,  farther,  by  our  own  solemn  act  and 
deed,  we  would  tie  up  our  hands  from  effecting 
the  thing  desired,  unless  we  account  the  initiating 
oath  unobligatory,  and  so  mock  God  in  taking  it. 
Should  a  bill  be  brought  into  the  house  to  make 
the  Bible  the  supreme  law  of  the  land,  would  sucli 
a  bill  be  constitutional  ?  That  it  would  not,  does 
not  require  proof.  I  am  sworn  to  support  the 
constitution.  How  shall  -I  behave  ?  There  is  no 
alternative,  but  either  to  reject  that  law  which  is 
a  transcript  of  the  moral  perfections  of  Jehovah,  or 
commit  perjury:  unless  I  consider  my  oath  to. 
support  the  constitution  unobligatory,  and  thus 
mock  God,  and  impose  upon  society.  Surely  I 
ought  not  to  put  myself  in  any  predicament  in 
which  I  may  be  brought  to  the  awful  dilemma  of 
either  rejecting  the  Bible,  or  committing  perjury! 
Nor  would  it  satisfy  the  conscience  to  sit  silent, 
and  give  no  vote.  This  would  be  a  silent  acqui- 
escence in  the  violation  of  the  constitution  which 
I  was  sworn  to  support.  Would  silence  be  sup- 
porting it?  Neither  is  it  lawful  for  any  Christian 


•J4:  THE  TWO  SON&  OF  OtL. 

to  put  it  out  of  his  own  power  to  speak  in  behalf 
of  truth,  when  truth,  or  the  Bible  of  God,  comes 
to  be  spoken  for  or  against. 

Obj.  15.  "  But  you  are  mostly  aliens,  and  have 
no  business  with  our  governmental  affairs."  To 
this  I 

jfnswer.  Admitting  that  we  are  all  aliens,  what 
does  this  prove  ?  "  The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and 
the  fulness  thereof."  Ps.  xxiv.  1.  We  are  moral 
subjects  of  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth.  While 
we  maintain  true  and  faithful  allegiance  to  him, 
and  conscientiously  obey  his  laws,  we  have  a  right 
to  live  in  any  part  of  his  dominions,  where,  in  his 
providence,  he  may  please  to  cast  our  lots.  We 
ought  not  to  infringe  upon  any  of  the  just  rights 
of  others,  for  this  would  be  inconsistent  with  faith- 
ful allegiance  to  the  Moral  Governor.  God  "has 
given  the  earth  to  the  sons  of  men ;"  and  to  the 
faithful  in  Christ  Jesus  a  new  covenant  right  to 
every  thing  they  possess.  Let  us  maintain  this 
character,  and  leave  the  consequences  to  a  kind 
and  benevolent  Father,  who  hath  informed  us  that 
"  they  who  truly  seek  him  shall  want  no  good 
thing." 

We  meddle  not  with  your  governmental  affairs 
farther  than  their  morality  or  immorality  is  con- 
cerned. We  have  a  right  to  give  our  opinion. 
We  do  so,  and  the  reason  on  which  it  is  founded. 
We  are  often  asked,  why  do  we  not  incorporate 
with  the  national  society  ?  We  wish  to  "  be  al- 
ways ready  to  give  every  one  that  asketh  us  a 
reason  of  the  hope  that  is  within  us."  We  lament 
that  we  cannot  join  with  you  in  your  national 
capacity.  The  fault  is  not  ours,  but  your  own. 
Much  as  we  love  you,  and  much  as  we  prefer 
your  government,  comparatively,  yet  we  cannot 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  95 

fully  incorporate  with  you,  lest  we  should  sin 
against  God,  and  be  found  unfaithful  to  him  who 
is  the  King  of  nations.  As  witnesses  for  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  we  are  also  bound  to  testify  against 
every  immorality  in  the  constitutions  of  the  land 
in  which  we  dwell.  How  is  it  possible  that  we 
could  be  faithful  in  this  matter,  were  we  not,  in 
some  measure,  to  "meddle  with  your  govern- 
mental affairs  ?"  Faithful  testimony-bearing  is  one 
part  of  the  character  of  the  "  two  witnesses."  It 
is  our  indispensable  duty  to  imitate  them.  We 
are  commanded  to  walk  "  by  the  footsteps  of  the 
flock."  They  grievously  offended  those  against 
whom  they  testified.  They  are  said  "  to  torment 
the  men  that  dwell  upon  the  earth."  If  we  be 
faithful,  as  they  were,  we  will  do  so  likewise. 
And  though  it  should  be  told  us,  as  the  men  of  So- 
dom told  Lot,  Gen.  xix.  9 — "  This  one  fellow 
came  in  to  sojourn,  and  now  he  will  needs  be  a 
judge," — yet  the  approbation  of  God,  and  the  an- 
swer of  a  good  conscience,  will  more  than  com- 
pensate those  temporary  evils. 

Such  are  some  of  the  leading  objections  to  the 
doctrines  contained  in  the  preceding  part  of  this 
discourse.  I  come  now  to  close  with  a  few 

USES.     And, 

1.  OF  INFORMATION. — From  the  text  and  doc- 
trine we  may  learn  that  magistracy  and  ministry 
are  two  very  important  ordinances:  the  two  "Sons 
of  Oil,"  that  stand  by  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth. 
They  are  among  his  near  and  intimate  concerns. 
Both  are  of  divine  institution,  and  are  intended  to 
answer  the  most  important  purposes.  Without 
these  nothing  but  anarchy  and  confusion  would 
prevail  here,  and  gloomy  horror  cover  the  pros- 
pects of  eternity.  These  very  important  ordi- 


96  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

nances,  in  which  the  happiness  of  our  kind  is  so 
much  concerned,  should  be  regulated  by  the  di- 
vine law.  This  necessarily  carries  in  it  an  obli- 
gation to  all  the  moral  subjects  unto  whom  it  is 
revealed  to  modify  their  conduct  according  to  its 
requisitions.  Those  who  refuse  to  accept  this 
rule  as  the  standard  of  their  conduct,  civil,  as  well 
as  religious,  rebel  against  the  authority  of  the 
Moral  Governor,  and  are  in  great  danger  of  incur- 
ring his  severe  judgments.  It  is  the  duty  of  those 
who  would  wish  to  bear  a  true  and  faithful  testi- 
mony for  Jesus  to  be  very  cautious  of  doing  any 
act  which  may  implicate  them  in  the  criminality 
of  rebelling  against  God.  "Say  ye  not  a  confe- 
deracy," &c.  Though  God  may  spare  long,  yet 
he  "will  avenge  himself  of  his  adversaries." 
Though  he  is  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious, 
long-suffering,  and  slow  to  anger,  yet  he  will  by 
no  means  clear  the  guilty.  He  will  not  suffer 
"  his  glory  to  be  given  to  another,  nor  his  praise 
to  graven  images." 

2.  OF  EXAMINATION. — Let  us  inquire  how  we 
have  attended  to  these  very  important  concerns. 
Have  we  been  endeavouring,  amidst  all  our  diffi- 
culties, to  be  found  faithful  ?  When  worldly  con- 
cerns, and  the  enjoyment  of  civil  privileges  and 
offices  in  the  state,  come  in  competition  with  the 
honour  of  Immanuel,  have  we  abandoned  them  for 
the  cause  of  our  Head  and  Lord  ?  Have  we  re- 
volved in  our  minds  the  character  which  Christ 
gives  of  the  real  disciple  ?  "  If  any  man  (says 
he)  would  be  my  disciple,  let  him  deny  himself, 
and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me."  If,  there- 
fore, my  brethren,  ye  would  be  followers  of  Jesus, 
self-denial  is  indispensably  necessary.  Did  you 
calculate  the  cost  when  you  embarked  in  his 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  97 

cause  ?  It  may  cost  you  much,  but  he  will  re- 
imburse  your  expenses,  for  he  sends  none  on  a 
warfare  at  their  own  charges.  In  a  word,  have 
you  been  resolving,  like  Ruth,  the  Moabitess,  with 
her  mother-in-law,  in  following  the  testimony  of 
Jesus-— "Where  thou  goest,  I  will  go;  thy  people 
shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God?"  (fee. 

OF  CONSOLATION. — Though  the  wheels  of  the 
reformation  chariot  move  but  slowly  on, — though 
the  vision  wait,  yet  let  not  your  expectation  fall. 

Though  it  tarry,  wait  for  it.  God's  word  is 
pledged  that  it  shall  come  at  the  appointed  time, 
and  shall  not  tarry  longer.  The  time  draws  near 
when  the  magistratical  and  the  ministerial  power 
shall  be  established  upon  a  Scriptural  basis. 
Is.  xlix.  23.  "  Kings  shall  be  thy  nursing  fathers, 
and  their  queens  thy  nursing  mothers."  And 
though  we  should  not  live  to  see  those  happy 
days,  yet,  provided  that  we  are  faithful  witnesses, 
the  time  is  coming,  when,  from  the  towering 
summit  of  Mount  Zion  above,  we  shall  behold  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world  become  the  kingdoms  of 
our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ.  Though  we  may  be 
pressed  with  many  difficulties,  and  encompassed 
with  the  most  embarrassing  circumstances,  while 
running  our  Christian  race,  and  "  pressing  towards 
the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God 
in  Christ  Jesus," — what  are  all  these  difficulties, 
compared  with  those  joys  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  us  ? 

Though  we  should,  in  Divine  Providence,  be 
called  to  seal  the  testimony  with  our  blood,  Jesus 
has  promised — "  When  thou  passest  through  the 
waters,  I  will  be  with  thee,  neither  shall  the  floods 
overflow  thee;  when  thou  walkest  through  the 
fire,  thou  shalt  not  be  burnt,  neither  shall  the 
9 


98  THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL. 

flames  kindle  upon  thee."  And  when  he  has  led 
us  to  the  end  of  our  journey,  he  will  make  us  pil- 
lars in  the  temple  of  our  God,  to  go  no  more  out. 

4.  OF  REBUKE. — This  may  be  addressed  to  the 
three  following  descriptions: 

First.  To  those  who,  like  Gallic,  care  for  none 
of  these  things.  There  is  a  wo  pronounced  upon 
those  who  are  at  ease  in  Zion.  God  will  rank 
the  neutralists  among  his  enemies.  "  They  who 
are  not  for  us,  are  against  us."  They  are  in- 
volved in  the  same  curse  with  those  who  are  found 
in  open  hostility.  Judges  v.  23.  "  Curse  ye  Me- 
roz,  (saith  the  angel  of  the  Lord,)  curse  ye  bitterly 
the  inhabitants  thereof;  because  they  came  not  to 
the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord 
against  the  mighty." 

Second.  To  those  who  are  opposed  to  the  re- 
formation. Let  such  consider,  they  are  fighting 
against  God,  and  that  they  are  in  danger  of  being 
consumed  by  the  fire  of  his  indignation.  "  Who 
would  set  the  briers  and  thorns  against  me  in 
battle,  (saith  the  Lord,)  I  would  go  through  them, 
I  would  burn  them  together."  Behold,  the  Lord 
is  a  man  of  war !  Beware  of  rushing  on  the  thick 
bosses  of  Jehovah's  buckler.  Those  who  are 
found  in  the  character  of  enemies  have  reason  to 
fear  lest  the  Lord  should  consume  them  with  the 
breath  of  his  mouth,  and  with  the  brightness  of  his 
coming. 

Third.  To  pretended  friends.  Wounds  are 
considered  as  receiving  additional  poignancy,  from 
the  circumstance  of  being  inflicted  in  the  house  of 
one's  friend.  From  open  enemies,  nothing  but 
hostility  is  expected.  Had  it  been  an  enemy,  said 
the  Psalmist,  I  could  have  borne  it.  Let  such  as 
profess  friendship  to  reformation,  and,  at  the  same 


THE  TWO  SONS  OF  OIL.  99 

time,  sap  its  foundation,  remember  that  they  will 
be  considered  equally  inimical,  (if  not  worse,)  as 
those  who,  with  axes  and  hammers,  break  down 
the  carved  work.  Let  such  remember  that  affect- 
ing question,  "Betrayest  thou  the  Son  of  man  with 
a  kiss?" 

5.  OF  EXHORTATION. — From  the  whole,  my 
brethren,  be  admonished  to  be  careful  and  con- 
scientious in  keeping  these  ordinances  pure  and 
entire.  To  this  I  would  exhort  you  all,  by  the 
example  of  the  saints — "  Go  forth  by  the  footsteps 
of  the  flock."  Being  encompassed  about  with  so 
great  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  lay  aside  every  weight, 
and  the  sins  that  do  most  easily  beset  you. 

By  your  covenant  obligation.  You  have  sworn 
allegiance  to  God.  After  solemn  vows  dare  not 
to  make  inquiry. 

By  the  obligation  of  the  divine  law.  This  binds 
all  unto  whom  it  comes.  Your  heathen  neigh- 
bours in  the  forest  will  rise  in  judgment  against 
you,  and  condemn  you,  should  you  neglect  this 
unerring  rule. 

By  the  law  of  nature.  This  requires  us  to  re- 
ceive the  divine  law  as  the  rule  and  standard  of  all 
our  actions. 

By  your  relationship  to  God.  If  he  is  our 
master,  should  we  not  fear  him  ?  If  he  is  our 
father,  should  we  not  honour  him  ? 

By  the  incomparable  price,  a  crown  of  immor- 
tality. "  Be  thou  faithful  unto  the  death,  and  I 
will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life." — A  crown  of  sal- 
vation— a  crown  of  eternal  glory.  Remember  we 
are  told,  that  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor 
hath  the  heart  of  man  conceived  its  excellence  and 
glory.  Amen, 


ON  SUBMISSION  TO  THE 


POWERS  THAT  BE. 


BY 


JAMES  M.  WILLSOJN". 


SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  AUTHORITY, 


Does  the  law  of  God  require  of  Christians  a 
conscientious  submission  to  all  existing  govern- 
ments? Or  are  we  at  liberty,  and  required  to 
make  preliminary  inquiries  respecting  the  moral 
character  of  a  government  previously  to  our  yield- 
ing such  a  submission  to  its  commands?  We  do 
not  now  speak  of.  active  support,  as  by  oaths  of 
allegiance,  or  by  taking  part  in  the  administration. 
Our  inquiry  relates  to  submission.  Nor  do  we 
discuss  the  propriety  of  obeying  laws  that  contra- 
vene God's  law.  On  this  point  the  Christian  has 
explicit  and  unmistakeable  direction.  He  is  to 
"obey  God  rather  than  man."  Nor  do  we  treat 
of  a  forced  conformity  to  civil  regulations  and 
enactments,  in  themselves  not  unlawful.  This 
is  certainly  allowable.  It  is  submission  for 
"wrath's  sake."  Rom.  xiii.  5.  We  are  consider- 
ing something  different  from  any  of  these,  viz., 
whether  it  is  a  Christian  duty  to  acknowledge 
conscientiously,  and  as  God's  ordinance,  any  ex- 
isting government,  whatever  its  moral  character. 
To  this  we  will  attempt  to  furnish  an  answer  in 
the  course  of  the  examination  of  the  following 
passage.  It  will  be  found  in  1  Pet.  ii.  13 — 16: 
"Submit  yourselves  to  every  ordinance  of  man 
for  the  Lord's  sake:  whether  it  be  to  the  king>w< 


104  SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

supreme;  or  unto  governors,  as  unto  them  that 
are  sent  by  him  for  the  punishment  of  evil-doers, 
and  for  the  praise  of  them  that  do  well.  For  so 
is  the  will  of  God,  that  with  well-doing  ye  may 
put  to  silence  the  ignorance  of  foolish  men:  as 
free,  and  not  using  your  liberty  for  a  cloak  of 
maliciousness,  but  as  the  servants  of  God." 

On  this,  we  remark — 

I.  That  the  terms  employed  here  denote  civil 
authorities,  whatever  the  titles  of  their  magistrates, 
higher  and  subordinate.  From  the  use,  in  this 
passage,  and  elsewhere  in  Scripture,  of  the  title 
"king,"  to  denote  civil  powers,  we  are  not  to 
infer,  as  some  have  done,  that  the  Scriptures  sanc- 
tion, much  less  enjoin,  monarchical  government, 
as  alone  agreeable  to  God's  ordinance  of  magis- 
tracy. And,  first,  if  monarchs  alone  are  meant 
here,  inferior  magistrates  must  be  called  governors, 
for  so  they  are  styled  in  the  text.  2.  The  ma- 
gistrates of  ancient  Israel  were  called  in  different 
periods  by  different  names,  and  the  government 
itself  was  far  from  having  always  the  same  form. 
For  four  hundred  years  after  their  settlement  in 
the  land  of  Canaan,  they  had  no  regular  and  un- 
broken succession  of  chief  magistrates.  Such  as 
they  had,  and  their  administrations  embraced*  the 
largest  part  of  the  four  hundred  years,  they  were 
styled  D'Bfltf,  or  judges.  The  highest  authorities 
in  the  various  tribes  were  even  less  distinctly  de- 
signated. 3.  So  far  from  enjoining  monarchical, 
the  Scriptures  favour  a  republican  or  representa- 
tive form  of  government.  The  example  of  Is- 
rael, just  referred  to,  is  exactly  in  point.  Among 
that  people,  many  of  their  ordinary  magistrates 
were  evidently  elective.  "  Choose  ye  out  from 
among  you,"  says  Moses  to  the  twelve  tribes; 


SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT.  105 

and  this  was  certainly  the  principle  of  the  political 
arrangements  of  Moses;  a  principle  but  little  in- 
terfered with  upon  the  introduction  of  the  monarchi- 
cal form  at  a  subsequent  period.  Hence,  though 
God  had  designated  the  person  in  whose  hands 
the  royal  power  was  to  be  lodged, — the  voice  of 
the  people  was  not  disregarded.  Witness  the 
election  of  Saul,  and  of  David,  and  the  supplica- 
tions presented  by  the  people  to  Rehoboam  when 
the  people  came  to  "  Shechem  to  make  him  king." 
(1  Kings  xii.  1.)  The  truth  is,  4.  That  the  name 
of  the  chief  magistrate,  and  even  the  particular 
form,  as  it  relates  to  distribution  of  powers,  and 
the  whole  subject  of  checks  and  balances,  is  a 
matter,  in  itself,  of  indifference.  The  grand  re- 
quisite, as  we  shall  show  presently,  is,  that  in  all 
these  matters  there  be  a  constant  regard  in  every 
element  and  principle  to  bring  them  into  accor- 
dance with  the  moral  law  of  God.  This  appears 
in  the  passage,  for 

II.  Civil  government  is  here  described  as  an 
"  ordinance  of  man :"  "  submit  yourselves  to  every 
ordinance  of  man."  The  term  "  ordinance  "  is 
not  used  here  in  the  same  sense  which  we  now 
frequently  put  upon  it.  In  common  parlance  a 
civil  "  ordinance  "  is  a  municipal  regulation, — a 
law  ordained  by  a  town  council,  or  some  peculiar 
enactment  of  the  supreme  authority.  Here,  it  sig- 
nifies the  system  of  government  set  up  and  in 
operation.  Hence,  it  follows,  "to  the  king  as  su- 
preme," &c.  But  how  is  government  an  "ordi- 
nance of  man?"  Does  it  mean  that  civil  go- 
vernment is  a  mere  human  device,  that  it  has  no 
higher  origin  than  the  voice  of  the  nation?  That 
it  is  a  mere  voluntary  association  which  men  may 
form  or  not,  or  that  when  formed  it  may  be  mo- 


106          SUBMISSION  TO   CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

delled  as  men  please,  irrespective  of  the  claims  of 
the  Most  High  ?  Certainly  not:  "  the  powers  that 
be  are  ordained  of  God," — Rom.  xiii.  1, — a  fact 
which  we  may  gather  from  the  very  constitution 
of  man  as  a  social  being, — made  for  society,  for 
co-operation  with  his  fellows.  Civil  government 
has  a  higher  origin  than  mere  human  ingenuity: 
God  is  its  author.  He  has  denned  its  ends,  its 
duties,  and  the  principles  of  its  administration. 
He  has  even  determined  the  class  of  men  who 
should  alone  be  the  depositaries  of  civil  authority  : 
"able  men,  men  that  fear  God,  men  of  truth,  and 
hating  covetousness."  How,  then,  is  civil  go- 
vernment an  "ordinance  of  man?" 

1.  It  is  so  called  from  the  fact  that  human  in- 
strumentality is  concerned  in  making  its  arrange- 
ments.  Observe,  not  merely  in  giving  it  being, 
but  in  establishing  the  specific  and  peculiar  terms 
of  its  constitution.  This  will  appear  more  clearly 
in  a  literal  rendering  of  the  original  words — rtacq 
av6p*>7twt)  xtiGi-i — every  human  creation.*  As  we 
have  already  intimated,  civil  government  is  an  or- 
dinance of  God.  but  not  in  such  a  sense  as  to  pre- 
clude the  exercise  of  human  wisdom  in  what  re- 
lates to  its  form,  its  various  departments,  its  checks 
and  balances.  And  hence,  forms  of  government, 
in  some  respects  very  different,  have  existed  with 
divine  approbation.  During  the  period  of  the 
Judges,  Israel  was  a  confederated  republic.  It 
was  afterwards  a  limited,  and,  with  certain  reser- 
vations, an  hereditary  monarchy.  In  both  these 
periods,  however,  the  nation  was  in  avowed  sub- 
jection to  the  Most  High,  and  its  affairs  were 

*  M'Knight  translates  it  "every  human  creation  of 
magistrates."  This  supply  is  undoubtedly  correct,  as 
government  is  the  subject  spoken  of. 


SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT.  107 

managed  with  divine  approbation — in  the  spirit  of 
the  love  of  God,  and  with  avowed  subjection  to 
its  authority ;  the  rights  and  liberties  of  all  the 
people  and  the  interest  of  religion  being  properly 
guarded  and  maintained.  In  this  respect,  there  is 
a  wide  difference  between  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
government.  The  latter  is,  in  every  particular, 
completely  arranged  by  Jesus  Christ:  the  Bible 
contains  the  church's  constitution.  Every  thing 
relating  to  the  officers  of  the  church,  their  duties, 
and  their  powers,  is  fully  set  forth  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. To  these,  nothing  can  be  added  ;  from  them 
nothing  taken.  Our  business — and  our  only  busi- 
ness— is  to  ascertain  and  carry  out  the  divine 
will.  Hence,  ecclesiastical  government  is  never 
denominated,  as  that  of  the  state  is,  an  "ordi- 
nance of  man."  But  this  is  not  all. 

2.  Government  is  a  human  creation,  inasmuch 
as  the  constituted  civil  authorities  are  left  to  the 
exercise  of  a  wise  discretion  in  the  enactment  and 
rescinding  of  laws,  as  demanded  by  emergent  cir- 
cumstances. For  example,  in  regulating  com- 
merce, the  currency,  taxation,  and,  to  some  extent, 
even  what  relates  to  education  and  police,  states 
are  left  free  to  choose  that  plan  which  the  times 
and  the  existing  stale  of  things  render  advisable. 
True,  all  civil  enactments  are  to  be  brought  to 
scriptural  tests — none  of  these  must  run  counter  to 
the  moral  law — and  in  some  departments,  as  in 
relation  to  marriage,  to  the  penalties  of  gross 
crimes,  to  the  vindication  of  the  Sabbath,  to  the 
support  of  religion — the  state  is  directly  bound  by 
the  precepts  and  directions  of  the  revealed  will  of 
God.  Still,  there  remains  a  wide  margin.  In 
this,  again,  differing  from  the  church — all  whose 
laws,  as  well  as  constitutional  privileges,  are  em- 


108  SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

bodied  in  the  Scriptures,  our  sole  business  being 
to  discover  and  apply  them. 

Hence,  in  perfect  consistency  with  the  principle 
that  civil  government  is  an  "ordinance  of  God," 
it  is  here  styled  "an  ordinance  of  man;"  and  we 
add,  that  in  this  title  we  find  no  indistinct  intima- 
tion that  lawful  .civil  authority  is  not — cannot  be — 
founded  in  the  sword,  nor  in  any  absolute  scheme 
of  hereditary  descent,  nor  in  any  thing  else  which 
stifles  the  popular  will. 

III.  This  passage  describes,  and  requires  sub- 
mission to,  a  righteous  civil  government.  And, 

1.  The  magistrates  here  spoken  of  are  "sent" 
of  God:  "  as  unto  them  that  are  sent  by  him."* 
But  what  means  this  term  ?  Are  we  to  apply  it 
to  any  existing  government?  Are  we  to  suppose 
that,  irrespective  of  the  origin  of  their  power,  or 
its  nature,  or  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  exercised, 
all  civil  rulers  that  happen  to  occupy  the  seat  of 
power  are  to  be  honoured  with  conscientious  alle- 
giance ?  Certainly  not.  For — (1.)  There  have 
been  civil  rulers,  of  whom  God  declared,  in  the 
most  express  terms,  that  He  had  not  sent  them. 
We  refer  to  the  kings  of  the  ten  tribes  after  they 
became  an  independent  kingdom:  "They  have  set 
up  kings,  but  not  by  me;  they  have  made  princes, 
and  I  knew  it  not."  Hos.  viii.  4.  Can  language 
be  more  explicit?  "Not  by  me;"  "they  have 
made  princes."  Yet  this  was  an  existing  govern- 
ment; and,  still  more — and  to  this  we  ask  particu- 
lar attention — it  was  a  popular  government,  having 
had  its  origin  in  a  great  national  revolution,  exer- 
cised and  upheld  by  the  voice  of  the  people.  The 

*  We  take  for  granted,  that  the  person  sending  is  here 
not  the  "king,"  but  the  "Lord."  Rom.  xiii.,  a  parallel 
passage,  confirms  this. 


SUBMISSION   TO   CIVIL  GOVERNMENT.          109 

kings  of  Israel,  in  other  words,  were  no  usurpers  ; 
they  swayed  no  sceptre  gained  by  conquest  and 
blood.  Yet  even  of  these  God  said  they  were  set 
up  "not  by  Him,"  He  "knew  it  not."  The  assent 
of  the  people  they  had,  but  God  did  not  acknow- 
ledge nor  recognise  them.  Surely,  it  would  have 
been  no  "damnable"  sin  for  a  fearer  of  God  to 
withhold  from  such  kings  conscientious  submis- 
sion; to  such  no  allegiance  could  be  clue  "for 
the  Lord's  sake."  (2.)  We  have  declarations 
equally  explicit  in  relation  to  the  existing  idola- 
trous, tyrannical  authorities  of  the  old  world.  We 
refer  to  the  language  of  prophecy,  which  denomi- 
nates them  as  "beastly"  in  their  origin  and  cha- 
racter, and  blasphemous  in  their  pretensions,  and 
denounces  them  as  doomed  of  God.  "I  saw," 
says  Daniel,  (chap,  vii.,)  "  and,  behold,  the  four 
winds  of  heaven  strove  upon  the  great  sea,  and 
four  great  beasts  came  up  from  the  sea."  The 
last  of  these — the  fourth  beast — was  "dreadful  and 
terrible,  and  strong  exceedingly,  and  it  had  great 
iron  teeth :  it  devoured  and  brake  in  pieces,  and 
stamped  the  residue  with  its  feet."  And  so  John: 
(Rev.  xiii.  7,)  "  And  I  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the 
sea,  and  saw  a  beast  rise  up  out  of  the  sea,  haivng 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his  heads 
ten  crowns,  and  upon  his  heads  the  name  of  blas- 
phemy." All  intelligent  Protestants  apply  these 
symbolic  representations  to  the  divided  Roman 
empire — the  existing  anti-Christian  thrones  of  Eu- 
rope. Did  God  send  them?  No.  For  even  still 
more  expressly  as  to  their  origin,  John  says — 
"And  the  dragon" — the  devil — "gave  him  his 
power,  and  seat,  and  great  authority."  Can  any 
thing  be  clearer?  How  could  this  beast — these 
kings  —  claim  conscientious  submission'?  The 
10 


110         SUBMISSION  TO   CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

devil — not  God — gave  them  their  power:  a  fact 
written  as  clear  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens  upon 
their  constitution  and  administration.  The  former, 
adverse  to  the  rights  of  the  people — the  latter, 
directed  not  to  the  advancement  of  God's  glory, 
and  the  interests  of  morality  and  religion,  but  in 
diametrical  opposition  to  all  these.  God  sends 
them  !  Yes.  As  he  sends  tempests  and  plagues, 
to  scourge  the  nations  for  their  sins.  As  he  raised 
up  Pharaoh,  to  show  in  these  last  times  his  power 
in  their  utter  and  signal  ruin.*  (3.)  It  cannot  be 
that  God,  in  any  such  way,  sends  immoral  powers, 
for  then  the  only  inquiry  would  be,  Does  a  govern- 
ment exist  ?  Has  it  the  requisite  vigour  and  re- 
sources to  compel  obedience  to  its  decrees  ?  Behind 
this,  we  could  not — dare  not  go.  Every  usurper, 
every  tyrant,  every  Nero,  Caligula,  Heliogabalus, 
or  Borgia,  might  justly  demand  conscientious  alle- 
giance as  God's  minister !  Do  the  advocates  of 
existing  powers,  as  God's  ordinance,  admit  this  1 
No.  They  fall  back  from  their  own  argument — 

*  We  append  Dr.  Junkin's  exposition  of  this  passage 
"The  dragon  invested  him  with  authority.  .  .  The 
Scripture  account  of  absolute  despotism,  is,  that  Satan 
gave  it,  and  the  blasphemous  slander  of  God  is  the  argu- 
ment by  which  the  doctrine  of  legitimacy  is  sustained 
from  the  Bible.  .  .  c  All  power  is  of  God ;  the  powers 
that  be  are  ordained  of  God/  therefore  iron-handed  despot- 
ism is  a  divine  institution.  This  is  the  conclusion  of  its 
friends,  but  the  word  of  truth  proclaims  it  to  be  from 
below.  The  same  kind  of  logic  will  prove  the  devil's 
own  usurpations  to  be  right  and  proper.  .  .  The  fal- 
lacy here  lies  in  a  false  assumption.  Paul  says,  (  The 
powers  that  be,5  stovo-iat,  that  is,  the  civil  government, 
is  an  ordinance  of  God ;  but  the  assumption  is,  that  he 
means  arbitrary  power,  might  without  right.  This  is 
the  logic  by  which  Diabolus  has  blasphemed  the  Creator 
for  a  score  of  centuries." 


SUBMISSION  TO   CIVIL  GOVERNMENT.          Ill 

they  insist  upon  some  attributes  as  essential  to  a 
right  to  reign.  We  live  in  the  age  of  revolutions. 
The  world  will  not  hear  even  the  enunciation  of 
the  doctrine  of  passive  obedience.  The  nations 
have  risen,  and  are  still  rising,  to  demand,  at  least 
seme,  credentials  of  these  pretended  vicegerents  of 
the  Almighty.  But,  are  they  not  powers^? — are 
they  not  "powers  that  be?"  How,  then,  except 
on  our  principle,  can  we  go  behind  this  fact,  and 
investigate  the  validity  of  their  commission  ?  We 
affirm,  on  no  other. 

Who,  then,  are  "  sent"  of  God  ?  We  answer, 
those  who  come  bearing  the  law,  and  exhibiting, 
in  measure,  the  image  of  God.  Those  who,  ho- 
nouring God,  and  seeking  to  accomplish  the  ends 
of  his  moral  ordinance  of  magistracy,  do  really 
sustain  the  character,  as  they  perform  the  duties 
of  his  ministers.  To  no  others  are  we  called 
upon,  in  God's  name,  and  for  his  sake,  to  yield 
a  conscientious  submission. 

2.  The  passage  expressly  defines  them  as 
righteous — v.  14 — "  As  unto  governors,  as  unto 
them  that  are  sent  by  him  for  the  punishment  of 
evil-doers,  and  for  the  praise  of  them  that  do  well." 
That  this  language  defines  a  righteous  administra- 
tion of  justice  between  man  and  man  as  an  indis- 
pensable feature  of  civil  government,  without 
which  it  would  have  no  validity — no  claims  upon 
our  allegiance,  is  scarcely  disputable.  Few  will 
be  even  disposed  to  deny  this,  at  least  in  this  land. 
For,  whatever  the  abettors  of  a  "  divine  right^to 
rule  wrong"  may  affirm,  it  is  here  universally 
acknowledged,  (we  go  farther,  maintained,)  that 
tyrants  have  no  claim  upon  the  conscientious  sub- 
mission of  their  subjects :  that,  instead,  it  is  even  a 
duty  to  throw  off  the  yoke  the  very  first  oppor- 


112  SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

tunity.  The  contrary  doctrine  would  involve  the 
notion — reproachful  to  the  Almighty — that  He  not 
merely  recognises  the  proud  and  hard-hearted 
despot  as  His  vicegerent,  but  obliges  the  wretched 
victims  of  his  power  to  look  up  to  him  with  reve- 
rence as  God's  minister  to  him  for  good. 

But,  is  this  all?  Is  it  enough  to  characterize  a 
government  as  "sent"  of  God  "for  the  punish- 
ment of  the  evil-doers,  and  for  the  praise  of  them 
that  do  well,"  that  common  justice  be  dispensed, 
the  lawless  and  the  turbulent  restrained,  and  the 
rights  of  the  peaceable  guarded?  Certainly  not. 
Are  none,  in  the  sight  of  God's  law — we  speak  of 
it  as  revealed  as  the  law  of  society — are  none 
"evil-doers"  but  rioters  and  robbers,  disturbers 
of  the  public  penc?,  and  invaders  of  private  rights? 
And  are  we  to  limit  the  phrase,  "  such  as  do  well," 
to  those  who  pay  due  regard  to  the  common  wel- 
fare, and  to  the  rights  of  their  fellow -citizens? 
By  no  means.  Wrong-doing  and  well-doing  are 
both  to  be  measured  by  the  divine  law — not  merely 
its  second,  but  its  first  table.  He  does  wrong  who 
dishonours  God,  and  blasphemes  his  name,  and 
profanes  his  Sabbath, — he  does  well,  in  a  high 
sense,  who  does  the  opposite  of  all  these.  We 
might  rest  our  argument  on  this  point  with  a  fair 
interpretation  of  the  phrases  themselves — eviland 
well-doing  —  but  we  have  additional  evidence. 
God  so  explained  it  in  the  code  which  he  prepared 
for  ancient  Israel.  The  book  of  Revelation  exhi- 
bits the  same  principle  in  its  denunciation  of  civil 
government — not  as  tyrannical  merely,  but  as  im- 
pious; and,  finally,  we  may  appeal  to  the  common 
opinion  of  all  nations — pagan  and  Christian,  an- 
cient and  modern.  For  where  is  the  nation  which 
has  taken  no  account — we  except  revolutionary 


SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT.  113 

France  for  a  very  short  time — of  such  crimes  as 
open  blasphemy? 

If  this  be  granted,  our  principle  is  established. 
The  government  that  claims  the  conscientious 
submission  of  the  faithful,  must  be,  in  the  sense 
in  which  we  have  now  explained  it,  as  well  as  in 
the  former,  a  restraint  upon  evil  doers,  and  a 
praise  to  them  that  do  well.  And  why  not?  We 
admit,  as  we  have  already  said,  that  a  government 
that  tramples  upon  human  rights  is  not  to  be  ac- 
knowledged as  the  minister  of  God.  How,  then, 
we  ask,  can  a  government  be  so  acknowledged 
which  puts  no  restraint  upon  the  open  enemies  of 
the  Most  High,  pays  no  regard  to  the  prerogatives 
of  Christ,  and  throws  open  its  honours,  and  thus 
gives  "power"  to  the  avowed  despisers  of  his 
law?  Is  this  to  answer  the  ends  of  a  divine  or- 
dinance ?  Surely  the  rights  of  God  and  of  Christ, 
are  not  less  worthy  of  recognition  than  human 
rights.  To  permit,  and  especially  to  patronize, 
their  violation,  is  no  less  a  crime  than  to  refuse 
to  the  citizens  of  the  commonwealth  protection  of 
life  or  property.* 

Now  observe,  all  agree, — with  the  few  excep- 
tions already  referred  to, — that  there  are  limits  to 
the  duty  of  submission,  that  at  least  the  rights  of 
man  must  not  be  seriously  infringed.  Some 
would,  however,  stop  at  this  point.  They  would 
be  satisfied  with  the  very  narrowest  sense  that  the 
terms  will  possibly  bear.  We  make  no  such  re- 

*  It  is  implied  in  the  above,  and  follows  as  a  conse- 
quence from  it,  that  a  government  which  itself  refuses  to 
own  God  and  Christ,  must  be  invalid.  For  if  the  mere 
refusal  to  vindicate  the  honour  of  Jehovah,  invalidates, 
much  more,  the  practical  denial  of  his  supreme  domi- 
nion. 

10* 


114  SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

strictions.  We  interpret  them  in  the  light  of  Scrip- 
ture, and  of  the  entire  history  of  our  race,  so  far 
as  it  contains  examples  worthy  of  being  followed. 
Without  hesitation,  we  repeat  our  assertion  that 
the  passage  enjoins  conscientious  submission  to 
such  a  government,  and  to  such  a  one  only,  as 
vindicates  not  merely  human  rights,  but  the  rights 
of  God, — of  Him  who  is  "King  of  kings  and  Lord 
of  lords."* 

3.  The  fact  that  civil  government  is  a  divine 
ordinance  demands  this  interpretation.  As  we 
have  already  said,  provision  has  been  made  in  the 
very  constitution  of  human  nature  for  the  exis- 
tence of  civil  institutions  among  men.  And  the 
language  of  Rom.  xiii.  1,  is  express  to  the  point 
that  civil  government  is,  not  a  mere  contrivance  of 
men,  a  matter  of  expedience  or  necessity, — but  an 
ordinance  of  God.  "The  powers  that  be  are  or- 
dained of  God."  "  He,"  the  ruler.  "  is  the  minis- 
ter of  God  to  thee  for  good."  But  what  does 
this  ordinance  comprehend?  Does  it  embrace  no 
more  than  the  affixing  of  a  divine  sanction  to  the 
exercise  of  such  authority  among  men  as  is  de- 
nominated civil? — leaving  every  thing  relating  to 
its  ends,  its  limits,  its  exercise,  completely  inde- 
pendent of  God's  will  and  direction?  Certainly 
not.  A  divine  ordinance  is  something.  God's 
minister  has  something  to  do  in  that  character. 

*  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  many  expositors  in  explain- 
ing Rom.  xiii.  1 — 7,  introduce,  and  make  essential  to  the 
being  of  a  lawful  government,  what  is  not  in  that  pas- 
sage, viz.:  that  it  originates  with  the  people,  or  has  their 
assent,  while  they  leave  out,  both  in  that  passage  and 
in  the  one  before  us,  or  at  all  events,  lay  little  stress 
upon  what  is  the  turning  point  of  both, — the  descrip- 
tion of  the  power ! 


SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT.  115 

And  whatever  government  is,  it  must  be  moral — 
for  God  is  holy  and  good.  Whatever  his  servant 
has  to  do,  he  must,  in  doing  it,  bear  the  image  of 
God  for  whom  he  acts.  It  is  monstrous  even  to 
imagine  that  the  Most  High  has  impressed  his 
sanction  upon  every  kind  of  human  authority, 
however  immoral,  profane,  blasphemous,  requiring 
of  the  unhappy  and  tempted  subject  of  such  do- 
minion, not  merely  a  peaceful  subjection  to  irre- 
sistible power,  but  a  conscientious  reverence  of 
its  officers  and  agents,  as  his  ministers.  We  are 
not  left  to  adopt  any  such  revolting  conclusion. 
The  scriptures  are  plain.  They  define,  as  we 
have  already  remarked,  the  ends  of  civil  authority, 
— the  good  of  society,  and  God's  glory;  they  fix 
the  character  of  its  officers — able  men.  Ex.  xviii. 
2 1 ;  just  men, "  He  that  ruleth  over  men  must  be  just, 
ruling  in  the  fear  of  God,"  2  Kings  xxiii.  3.  They 
prescribe  many  of  its  laws,  and  enjoin  upon  it 
special  duties.  Now,  we  repeat,  every  ordinance 
of  God,  in  its  institution,  is  like  himself,  and  only 
as  it  bears  his  image  in  its  constitution  and  ad- 
ministration, can  it  possibly  be  required  of  us  to 
yield  it  that  high  regard,  and  hearty  acquiescence, 
and  conscientious  obedience,  which  is  due  to  those 
to  whom  so  high  and  important  trusts  are  com- 
mitted. 

But,  it  will  be  said,  the  government  then  exist- 
ing, which  claimed  the  submission  of  Christians, 
— the  Roman, — certainly  did  not  possess  the  cha- 
racter of  a  righteous  government,  as  we  have  de- 
fined it, — did  not  acknowledge  Christ — nor  re- 
gard  his  law.  The  fact  is  admitted,  the  conclu- 
sion is  denied.  Because,  (1.)  This  government 
was  one  of  conquest,  so  far  as  related  to  the  pro- 
vinces in  which  the  Christians  resided,  whom 


1 1  6  SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

Peter  addresses,  and  even  in  Rome  itself,  was  a 
military  and  not  a  popular  government,  and,  hence, 
on  the  principles  of  objectors  themselves,  could 
not  claim  a  conscientious  allegiance :  in  other 
words,  it  was  a  government  which  might  lawfully 
have  been  thrown  off,  even  by  a  violent  revolution. 
The  advocates  of  passive  obedience,  and  non-re- 
sistance, are  consistent — no  others  are,  in  adducing 
this  objection.  It  strikes  at  the  fundamental,  and, 
in  this  country,  generally  admitted  doctrine,  that  a 
mere  government  of  force  cannot  claim  to  be  God's 
ordinance, — cannot  demand  conscientious  allegi- 
ance, but  may  be  resisted,  overturned,  and  another 
substituted  in  its  stead.  (2.)  Intelligent  Christians 
knew,  as  they  know  now,  that  this  government 
had  been  denounced  by  the  Spirit  of  God  as  the 
enemy  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  They  under- 
stood the  prophecies  of  Daniel,  to  which  we  have 
already  referred,  and  could  have  had  no  difficulty 
in  applying  them  to  a  government  with  whose  his- 
tory they  were  familiar,  as  one  of  destruction, — 
of  trampling  down  and  breaking  in  pieces.  Nor, 
(3.)  does  our  view  involve  the  conclusion  that 
these  directions  were  of  no  use  to  the  churches. 
This  passage  was  designed,  and  would  have  this 
effect,  to  arrest  any  tendency  on  the  part  of  Chris- 
tians to  reject  entirely  the  ordinance  of  civil  'go- 
vernment; to  meet  the  case  of  a  class  of  persons 
which  began  to  make  their  appearance  at  that 
early  age,  as  we  learn  from  Peter's  Second  Epis- 
tle to  these  churches,  as  they  have  often  since, 
who  rejected  the  ordinance  of  civil  government 
altogether, — true  anti-government  men, — holding 
it  to  be  inconsistent  with  Christianity,  under  any 
circumstances,  to  have  to  do  with  civil  power. 
Moreover,  the  Scriptures  were  intended  to  be  a 


SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT.  117 

complete  rule  in  every  age,  and  such  passages  as 
the  one  before  us,  would  point  out  to  the  faithful 
one  grand  object  at  which  they  should  aim — the 
reformation  of  national  organizations  until  they 
should  be  brought  into  conformity  with  the  cha- 
racteristics embodied  summarily,  but  distinctly,  in 
these  passages  themselves.  These  admonitions, 
then,  were  far  from  being  useless  or  inapplicable, 
at  the  time,  and  are  of  immense  use  now.  In- 
deed, the  very  fact  that  such  directions  were 
needed  at  that  time,  is  no  inconsiderable  argument 
in  favour  of  our  view.  For  how  could  the  idea 
have  originated  that  Christians  were  adverse  to 
civil  authority,  unless  from  the  perversion  of  the 
apostolic  teachings  in  regard  to  the  unholy  nature 
and  unchristian  character  of  existing  institutions? 

Our  interpretation  must  stand.  The  passage 
teaches  the  duty  of  acknowledging  a  righteous 
civil  government,  and  no  other.  It  makes  this  an 
essential  characteristic.  And  that,  as  much  when 
the  government  is  of  popular  origin,  as  under  any 
other  circumstances.  Even  of  such  a  government, 
if  it  had  this  attribute,  God  says,  as  he  said  of  the 
popular  government  of  the  ten  tribes,  "They  have 
set  up  kings,  but  not  by  me;  they  have  made 
princes,  and  I  knew  it  not." 

4.  To  a  righteous  government  hearty  allegiance 
is  imperatively  required.  "Submit  yourselves 
therefore."  There  are  two  kinds  of  submission  to 
civil  authority.  One  is  forced — for  "  wrath's 
sake:"  the  other  is  that  to  which  we  have  so  often 
alluded,  a  sincere,  cheerful  subjection — for  "con- 
science sake,"  for  "the  Lord's  sake."  As  to  the 
former,  circumstances  may  render  it  expedient, 
and  even  dutiful.  It  may  be  expedient,  from  re- 
gard to  a  man's  personal  safety, — like  the  submis- 


118          SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL   GOVERNMENT. 

sion  of  the  peaceable  inhabitant  to  the  unjust  exac- 
tions of  an  invading  host,  pouring  into  his  country 
with  irresistible  might;  or,  more  nearly,  like  the 
peaceable  subjection  of  the  slave  to  the  unjust  and 
sinful  claims  of  his  pretended  owner.  A  subjec- 
tion based  upon  no  higher  principle  than  the  im- 
possibility of  successful  resistance,  and  the  fear  of 
making  things  worse  by  attempting  the  use  of  vio- 
lent means  of  relief.  On  these  grounds,  submis- 
sion for  wrath's  sake  may  be  expedient,  and  even 
in  a  sense,  dutiful.  Still  more,  the  Christian  re- 
gards the  peace  of  society — he  knows  that  the  re- 
formation of  the  government  is  a  work  of  time  and 
of  Christian  effort — he  has,  as  a  willing  subject  of 
Christ's  government,  a  high  regard  for  the  welfare 
of  the  body  politic,  and  is  thankful  for  every  law, 
and  every  act  of  administration  that  accords  with 
the  divine  will,  and  thus  tends  to  promote  the  ob- 
ject of  the  ordinance  of  magistracy — and,  besides, 
is  careful  that  no  just  reproach  shall  fall,  through 
any^act  of  his,  upon  the  pure  and  peaceful  charac- 
ter of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  cherishes,  with  ha- 
bitual concern,  the  honour  of  his  exalted  Prince 
and  Saviour.  On  these  grounds,  the  intelligent 
Christian  demeans  himself  quietly  and  honestly  in 
all  godliness,  so  long  as  his  privileges  and  those 
of  his  fellow-Christians,  and  the  community,  are 
not  interfered  with,  whatever  the  moral  character 
of  the  government.  And  thus,  as  a  matter  of  duty, 
and  we  may  even  say  for  "conscience  sake,"  not 
as  regarding  the  existing  authorities  as  God's 
ministers,  but  as  for  other  and  higher  reasons.* 

*  In  fact,  those  who  adopt  the  views  which  we  advo- 
cate will  be  found  the  most  peaceful  members  of  society, 
better  deserving  of  its  protection  than  a  large  proportion 
of  those  who  acknowledge,  merely  as  existing,  the  powers 
that  be. 


SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT.  119 

God's  ordinance,  however,  requires  more  than 
this.  It  demands,  as  we  have  all  along  suggested, 
a  hearty  and  cheerful  recognition  of  its  being  and 
its  authority,  and  a  ready  submission  to  its  enact- 
ments, as  bearing  the  stamp  and  impress  of  God's 
institution.  Such  a  government,  and  such  officers, 
the  Christian  will  honour,  support,  maintain  and 
defend,  This  is  the  submission  enjoined  in  the 
passage  before  us:  «* Submit,  for  the  Lord's  sake," 
"  for  so  is  the  will  of  God."  Such  a  submission 
as  the  godly  Israelites  gave  to  the  Mosaic  institu- 
tions, and  the  officers  by  whom  they  were  admi- 
nistered— to  the  authority  of  David,  and  his  godly 
successors.  Such  a  submission  as  the  saints  will 
yield  to  the  governments  of  the  earth  at  that  time 
when  "the  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the 
kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ." 

Here  we  might  enter  upon  a  more  minute  exami- 
nation of  the  elements  which  enter  into  the  consti- 
tution of  a  righteous  civil  government.  For  these, 
however,  we  refer  the  reader,  as  well  as  for  the 
application  of  the  principles  which  we  have  vindi- 
cated, to  the  pages  of  the  "Sons  of  Oil:"  adding, 
only,  that  no  government  can  claim  to  be  in  accord- 
ance with  God's  moral  ordinance,  which  does  not, 
in  Christian  lands,  honour  God  in  Christ,  adopt 
his  law  as  supreme,  regard  the  rights  and  privi- 
leges of  the  entire  community,  particularly  of  the 
most  needy,  which  does  not  deny  its  bounties  to 
the  open  enemies  of  Christ,  and  direct  its  opera- 
tions to  the  advancement  of  moral  order  and  the 
glory  of  God,  in  the  maintenance  of  God's  law, 
the  support  of  religion  and  the  restraint  of  those 
who  do  evil  against  both  tables  of  the  decalogue. 
These  are  not  "high  and  ultimate  attainments." 
They  are  primary  and  fundamental  principles. 


120  SUBMISSION  TO  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

We  do  not  demand  absolute  perfection;  but  we  do 
demand  of  any  government  that  asks  our  conscien- 
tious support,  that  it  "kiss  the  Son,"  that  it  put 
itself  under  that  law  which  only  needs  to  be  under- 
stood and  applied  to  reach  every  interest  of  social 
life,  and  every  element  of  moral  order,  that  it 
trample  upon  none  of  its  subjects  or  citizens,  that 
it  regard  with  interest  the  special  kingdom  of 
Christ,  bought  with  his  blood,  and  cherished  as 
his  peculiar  possession.  In  this  way,  and  in  this 
way  alone,  can  we  vindicate  with  effect  God's  or- 
dinance of  magistracy,  and  perpetuate  its  claims 
to  future  generations,  and  so  secure  for  them  the 
rich  heritage  of  Christian  institutions,  and  the  fa- 
vour of  the  Most  High.  Adopting  these  views, 
we  must  withhold,  for  reasons  which  are  so  well 
stated  in  the  preceding  pamphlet,  our  conscientious 
allegiance  from  the  government  of  our  land,  en- 
deavouring, in  the  mean  time,  while  we  labour 
for  a  reformation,  to  demean  ourselves  as  becomes 
the  subjects,  disciples,  and  witnesses  of  Jesus  Christ 
— the  King  of  kings,  and  the  Lord  of  lords — the 
Saviour  of  his  body  the  church. 


THE  END. 


